A review of active shooter cases by the Air Force has confirmed what gun rights advocates have long been saying: Firearms in the hands of good guys are often the best bet for stopping massacres.
The military branch earlier this month sent out a letter to its base commanders around the nation reminding them that they can authorize subordinates to carry guns, even while off-duty and out of uniform. It also established three programs to help ensure that armed service members are in a position to protect their bases.
"None of these programs gives the installation commander authorizations they didn't already have the authorization to do," Maj. Keith Quick, the Air Force Security Forces Integrated Defense action officer, said in a statement according to Military.com. "We are now formalizing it and telling them how they can use these types of programs more effectively."
Let's see. Fox News is reporting it and John Lott is endorsing the idea. Hahahahaha“Finally, someone in the federal government is recognizing what has been obvious to sheriffs and police across the country...”- John Lott, Crime Prevention Research Center
So the military is taking a step forward. Military bases have had for quite a while a system somewhat like New Jersey in that Base Commanders could authorize gun possession, but almost never did.
ReplyDeleteAfter the event in Chattanooga, where they got themselves into a public relations nightmare for considering prosecuting a serviceman who actually had the gall to fight back during a terrorist attack, they hopefully noticed that they couldn't prosecute him because he WAS the Base Commander.
So now some of the service branches are developing procedures quantify the permitting process. So perhaps it will eventually get to be like California's permit system. May-issue at the discretion of the Base Commander, with some Commanders being more liberal than others.
I'm going to have to check to see what the Army is doing on this. Would be nice to be able to attend drill and not be unarmed all weekend.
Let's see. Fox News is reporting it and John Lott is endorsing the idea.
ReplyDeleteIs there something in Fox's reporting of the story that you believe to be inaccurate?
This is okay. My friend in the Air Force today is more likely to be carrying a trumpet or a flugelhorn. But it's okay by me. It's kind of a sad commentary on life in the U.S. as it is today. Back in the early 1980s I used to carry weed and my bamboo pipe onto Naval Base Miramar. There were places that you could drive in your car and get high inside of huge pipe segments in the back areas of the naval base. We also had a lot of fun in the photolab.
ReplyDeleteNowadays dickheads have guns. I have no problem with American service personnel carrying their weapons.
"This is okay. My friend in the Air Force today is more likely to be carrying a trumpet or a flugelhorn."
DeleteHowdy FJ, keep in mind that whoever carries out an attack such as happened in Chattanooga, they really wont care what your friend does in the Air Force. The only thing they see is the uniform.
So hopefully, when these new policies come into play, people wont fall into the assumption that only certain job specialties can get authorization.
The current tactics of insurgencies mean that there are no formal or even identifiable boundaries in the conflict, and in response to this, at least in the Army, all units are expected be trained in basic tactics.
In fact, in '08, I helped train a Division Band that was deploying to Iraq. They did very well.