Rep. Miller backs bill to allow guns at military recruiting stations

Congresswoman Candice Miller today joined a group of lawmakers proposing legislation that would allow military personnel to carry firearms at recruiting stations and military bases.
Follow the shootings at a recruitment office in Chattanooga last week that left five servicemen dead, the Tennessee congressional delegation – Democrats and Republicans – have introduced a bill that would repeal a directive issued by the Pentagon over 20 years ago that barred most servicemen from carrying firearms at military installations.

Miller signed on as a co-sponsor of the legislation and issued this statement:
“Last week’s horrific domestic terrorist attack in Chattanooga that killed four U.S. Marines and one Navy Sailor was a painful reminder that, with today’s global reach of terrorist organizations’ recruitment efforts, the brave men and women who often travel abroad to defend this country are now also targets of extremist attacks here at home, which is why we must ensure they have the ability to protect themselves by immediately repealing the ban on firearms at military installations. 

Miller

“These men and women are highly trained to (safely) and effectively use firearms for our protection and theirs, and banning them from carrying them on military bases or at recruitment centers, especially given today’s threat, simply doesn’t make sense and puts them in danger. It is time to take the blinders off, acknowledge the serious threat posed by global terrorist organizations targeting our law enforcement and military personnel, and take swift action that helps the brave men and women who defend this country defend themselves.” 

Despite Miller’s remarks, the FBI has not found any link between the gunman and terrorist groups. Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, a 24-year-old Kuwaiti-born citizen, acted alone without help from anyone else, and investigators are treating him as a "homegrown violent extremist," the FBI said today.

However, the Associated Press reported that it is too early to determine whether Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez was "radicalized" before the attacks at two military sites.

Pentagon may oppose bill

At this point, it appears that the Pentagon may oppose the bill introduced in Congress. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has asked the Pentagon and military commanders to make recommendations on improving safety at reserve, recruiting and ROTC centers by the end of the week, according to CNN.

The military review, though, is considering the possibility that arming active duty and national guard troops could raise additional safety issues. CNN's report said factors that would have to be taken into account include emptying guns of ammunition and storing them in a secure, approved armory area; approving rules of engagement; and the policies of civilian authorities in places where these troops are on duty but off base, such as schools or government buildings.

The changes under consideration, and those proposed in Congress, would refer only to military-issued weapons.

The Navy Times is reporting that a Navy officer and a Marine fired their sidearms at the gunman when he attacked a second military facility in Chattanooga,  a nearby Navy and Marine Reserve Center, where he killed four Marines and injured a sailor, who later died. 
Those personally owned pistols would mark a violation of the existing Pentagon rule, which limits the carrying of firearms on military installations to military police.

According to the Navy Times, it is unclear whether either recruiter hit the gunman. The newspaper cited a report distributed among senior Navy leaders who said the two troops who fired on Abdulazeez were Lt. Cmd. Timothy White, the reserve center's commanding officer, as well as one of the slain Marines.