Legalize Concealed Carry for Soldiers on Military Installations

[Rucker61]

I've said it once, I've said it 1,000 times: They trust us with loaded "assault rifles" downrange, carried in a loaded posture, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week... why not back home?

Unless things have changed in the last 20 years, it's the only way to keep DA civilians alive, given the way they treat soldiers. I guess we'd have to add contractors that list, too.

[275RLTW]

Service members aren't trusted with loaded weapons overseas either. What makes anyone think they will allow it here?

[KAPA]

Why does this work so well in Israel? Don't they require all their soldiers to have their M4 with them at ALL times? A google search shows girls on the beach carrying these things around. I have never heard of a mass shooting over there by one of their soldiers and they require everyone to join the military after school.

[davsel]

Military bases are not any more subject to shootings or crime than any other city. There are just as many people on a military base that I don't want armed with an assault rifle as there are civilians who I don't want to see armed with an assault rifle. If the shooter at Ft. Hood this past week had his M4, the situation would have been even worse.

If the shooter at Ft. Hood this past week had his M4, AND SO DID EVERYONE ELSE ON BASE, the situation would have ended quickly, if it happened at all.

[Ronin13]

Why does this work so well in Israel? Don't they require all their soldiers to have their M4 with them at ALL times? A google search shows girls on the beach carrying these things around. I have never heard of a mass shooting over there by one of their soldiers and they require everyone to join the military after school.

Yep!

If the shooter at Ft. Hood this past week had his M4, AND SO DID EVERYONE ELSE ON BASE, the situation would have ended quickly, if it happened at all.

I think it would have been more of a deterrent than stopping the shooting shortly after beginning. These people are cowards. The moment they're met with armed resistance they give up or take their own life. If everyone had been armed, they would have chosen some place else.

[brutal]

Service members aren't trusted with loaded weapons overseas either. What makes anyone think they will allow it here?

I expect you mean in Garrison?

Certainly it was a long time ago, in a land far, far away, and maybe the circumstances of handling classified material and gear warranted it, but when I was in DE and worked shift at a comm center, the repair tech on duty as radio operator had ready access to a rack of M16's and a basic load.

Back in the real world (1st ID Fort Riley), we never had access to ammunition unless it was during refresh or qual.

I'm on the fence about arming soldiers in garrison with M4's, but there's no compelling reason I can see to prohibit permitted CCW.

[davsel]

With all the "news" programs spreading the word on how unarmed our military bases are here at home, I predict a terrorist attack carried out by around a dozen dirtbags hopping the fence and having a turkey shoot in the near future. It would be a little more difficult than attacking a gun free school, but with much greater bragging rights.
The dirtbags pulled it off multiple times in Afghanistan against armed troops.
Who could stop them?
How many would die before they are finally stopped?

Then (next prediction), instead of arming our military at home, they will instead hire the TSA to search everyone entering the bases.

[Ronin13]

I expect you mean in Garrison?

Certainly it was a long time ago, in a land far, far away, and maybe the circumstances of handling classified material and gear warranted it, but when I was in DE and worked shift at a comm center, the repair tech on duty as radio operator had ready access to a rack of M16's and a basic load.

Back in the real world (1st ID Fort Riley), we never had access to ammunition unless it was during refresh or qual.

I'm on the fence about arming soldiers in garrison with M4's, but there's no compelling reason I can see to prohibit permitted CCW.

As per base commander's policy- every unit arms room had to have a basic loadout (2 magazines full) for 4 soldiers to pull guard duty in the event of power outage, emergency, or terrorist activity in the area. That was Ft. Drum, 2010.

[brutal]

Thinking about it a little more, all us enlisted always had extra duty to pull; Doobie Driver, CQ for the barracks rats, etc.

Wouldn't it be fairly simple to assign x number of key personnel per day to be armed protectors while they're performing their regular duties?

[Aloha_Shooter]

I have no problem with the idea of allowing personnel on base carry concealed as long as they comply with local laws (applicable permits, etc.) but ... BUT ... any commander is going to have to think long and hard about arming up to guard a non-Priority A resource on US soil without legal authorities. Letting them exercise rights granted by the civil authorities is distinctly different from trying to exercise non-existent military authorities. How does LOAC apply to criminals versus verified enemy combatants? IIRC, Hasan yelled "Allahu Akbar" as he was firing -- that makes him a traitor and enemy combatant in my book. Lopez did no such thing -- he was no different from some gangster or redneck who went in firing because he was pissed over what I was wearing or that I'd made a pass at his girlfriend.

Very very dangerous ground here.