Air Force tells brass they can OK guns on base

[fordson]

Just the opposite on Navy Bases. I can't recall many Naval Station that allowed personally owned firearms aboard the station. And that goes for the few Marine Bases I've been to as well. PAX River may be one of the few that comes to mind that does. Several years ago, aboard NAS JACKSONVILLE, someone found a live 45ACP round on the golf course. The golf course abutted the pistol range where we did our annual pistol quals. The Command went overboard in their response. The pistol range was shut down, and all weapons quals transferred to CAMP BLANDING Joint Command Base. It's been this way for years….i wonder how the USAF ruling will be viewed by all the other branches now.

 

[Smoke]

I'll be very interested in how the commander at Offutt AFB decides to proceed.

He won't do anything.

I wrote this 11 years ago after an active shooter event at Ft. Lee Virginia.

It's pretty Army Centric but I bet it applies to the Air Force as well.

When I was in the Army unit commanders were held (IMO) overly accountable for the actions of the soldiers under them, to the point that if too many of your soldiers got DUIs (certainly something you can't control) it might reflect on your OER.

As a result I saw unit commanders take as much freedom as they could from the lower EM. When I was in Germany every soldier E4 and below was forbidden from having a checking account because one or two had bounced check ( You can argue that it was against this regulation or that regulation all you want the fact is they did it and got away with it).

When I was at Ft. Carson the Post Commander (Major General Guy LaBoa) simply forbade anyone E4 and below from having any personal weapons while stationed at Ft. Carson. Obviously he couldn't stop you from storing personal weapons at your Parent's home or your Home of Record but you couldn't have them in your on post quarters or your off post quarters and certainly not in the Barracks.

I remember a couple years back there was a lot of discussion on various gun forums about the General in charge of the Alaskan Command (AKA HMFIC) forbidding everyone in the command from carrying a weapon off post (open or concealed) regardless of permit status and again he made it stick. There was a soldier that stopped a group from mugging him because he was armed and he was disciplined for disobeying the Commander's order.

My point is that unless that culture has drastically changed within the Army, it doesn't matter what the government does no post commander is going to allow concealed carry on post.

 

[CH4]

I hope current airmen get more small arms training than we did. When I went through basic in the 80's, we got 50 rds of 22lr and a converted M16. It wasn't until I became an SP (811) that we received real firearms training, especially those of us that went through ABGD.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I work on a military installation. Personally owned firearms are expressly prohibited. We have to rely on the MP's to protect us. And there aren't that many on duty at any given time.

There are thousands of M4's, Sigs, 50 calibers and other weaponry there. But they are locked in arms rooms. Only a few people know the combination. And that's assuming they are available.

If there was a coordinated attack by 3 or 4 individuals. We would be in a world of hurt.

First thing I would do is find an MRAP and run them down.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I hope current airmen get more small arms training than we did. When I went through basic in the 80's, we got 50 rds of 22lr and a converted M16. It wasn't until I became an SP (811) that we received real firearms training, especially those of us that went through ABGD.

They do not.

Only combat controllers, PJ's, and one or two special units that get year round training.

 

[timjake]

Hey guys, I started this thread in 2016...and it has arisen from the grave.