The New Military: Guns Aren’t Welcome Here

Last fall we wrote about leaders of ISIS encouraging their followers and supporters to attack American servicemen here at home, and that it was imperative that a national concealed carry reciprocity bill be passed to allow members of the military and members public to carry concealed weapons legally from state to state.

“Do not ask for anyone’s advice and do not seek anyone’s verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling. Both of them are disbelievers. Both of them are considered to be waging war,” said the leader of ISIS in a radio speech.

Well, the recent attack that killed four Marines and a sailor in Chattanooga, Tenn. was unfortunate proof that we were right. At the time officials at the Department of Defense issued warnings to service members, veterans and their families that they might be targets and to be aware of potential dangers and practice situational awareness when off base, as well as monitor their social media accounts.

Unfortunately while DOD warned them, they didn’t give them a means to defend themselves. Military recruiters are never issued arms and even on base stateside only a limited number of service members carry weapons with ammunition and that is generally limited to military police and those on guard or security duties.

This is a long-standing policy going back many decades, though it has nothing to do with a Clinton era directive, as many have claimed. The policy is much older.

As a Marine in an infantry battalion on Camp Pendleton in the 1980s the only time we had our issue weapons was for training, inspections, cleaning, or guard duty and the only time we had ammunition was at the rifle range, live fire exercises or guard duty, and only a tiny percentage of Marines in the regimental area were on guard at any one time. I have spoken to Marines and soldiers who served in the 1970s and 1960s who confirmed the policy was the same then.

The same went for privately owned weapons. If you owned one it had to be kept off base or the unit armory, not in your barracks. Even married Marines living in on base houses couldn’t keep weapons at home. The policy also went back to at least the 1960s.

Regardless of when the policies started, it is time they were changed. They date back to the Cold War, when the homeland was comparatively safe, at least on an individual level. We may have been preparing for all-out war with the Soviet Union but we did not have to face terrorist attacks on our military here on our own soil. The situation we face today is more akin to what the Israelis have combatted for years, when an attack can come at any place or any time and soldiers are armed at all times—even off base and in urban areas.

There has to be a way to allow some of our recruiters at recruiting stations to be armed, to allow soldiers and Marines who wish to carry concealed to do so—especially going to and from base— and to expand the definition of who can be armed on base. The Israelis with a conscripted military manage it; it assumes that our all-volunteer, highly trained, and professional force cannot. If we trust our military with live weapons overseas, we should be able to trust them with them here.

There is a one small consolation that came out of the attack in Chattanooga and it is that is that two of those under attack were able to shoot back against their attacker, apparently with privately owned and not issue weapons. One of them, a Marine, was killed. His Glock was found near him. The other, a naval officer, Lt. Commander Timothy Smith, shot back and lived. Federal agents investigating the attack said these two men saved countless lives.

Of course the great fear now is that that Smith will be prosecuted by the military for his heroism because he may have violated federal law by having a weapon at all. Members of the military cannot pick and choose which orders to obey. He may be given a medal with one hand and a reprimand with the other.

If that happens it would ignite a public relations disaster for the administration. It would be better that this be recognized as a watershed moment and that Smith disobeyed a stupid and dangerous regulation and any necessary punishment be light and symbolic. Honor Smith for showing the way forward and find a way for members of the military to legally protect themselves. (Re-posted with permission, “The New Military: Guns Aren’t Welcome Here”, originally appeared HERE)

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