I was thinking something along these lines. Although I generally think service members should not have to check their 2A rights at the front gate, I also recognize that the military (the Army, at least) is designed to be able to manage some pretty dim bulbs.
I don’t think this is as true as it used to be. It used to be that anyone with a good set of teeth could stand in front and be a bullet sponge. Today’s maneuver Soldiers have to be quick thinking and capable of acting independently. That said, every company I’ve ever seen has at least a couple of Soldiers who make you wonder who ties their boots in the morning. Every NCO has a horror story about some Joe who made his life miserable or nearly ended his career. They exist.
Couple that with mind-boggling accountability requirements that create a risk-averse climate. Soldiers waste unknown hours looking for that one missing 9mm casing every time there’s a range. Leaders at upper echelons get sacrificed when lower enlisted service members at a bar do something stupid off-duty. And God help the commander of a service member accused of rape or racism. I completely understand why a post commander is reluctant to remove firearms restrictions. That O6-O8 will be the first one blamed if Joe shoots himself in the foot with his own firearm on post.
So while I think service members should have the same 2A rights as everyone else, I also recognize why the service branches are slow to grant blanket permission for everyone to bring firearms on post.
I w as in the Air Force for 24 years and served in many countries and in state bases, and there where times i wished i had a conceal firearms on me, and in this day and age the military personnel should be able to conceal carry after they pass weapons training and laws training, but their will have to be gun free zones like the NCO club, base hospital and places like that have them have lock boxes like in train stations and bus terminals. so they can do business and when done pick it up. Stay Alert Don’t Hurt.
I spent 20 years in Air Force and started concealed carrying in the early 90s while doing a tour of duty in Panama. I never carried on base other than the short distance from my quarters to the gate when going off base. Panama was a very dangerous place back then. In over 30 yrs I’ve only ever drawn my weapon 3 times and twice of those times occurred in Panama City. The thing being, I’ve never really thought about it as I always felt safe on base. Its a different feeling of safety when you have armed guards controlling access to your living/work area.
I strongly disagree with you. I don’t think a person should have to give up their 2A rights just because they joined the military. On thing I hated when I went into the Army years ago was the distrust. I think if GIs know what would happen if they used their gun. they would think before using. Sometime base towns are not safe, and then to disarm our people. They go off to war and carry, but back home we don’t trust them, something is wrong with this picture.
Before 1992 gun free bases were not even part of the discussion. I lived it and went from keeping my firearms in my government quarters in 1991 to having to lock them in the arms room in 1992 and get permission from my commander to exercise my 2nd amendment rights. Most blame Clinton for the policy but the gun-free military base policy originated from a Department of Defense directive issued in 1992 under President George H.W. Bush, which limited the carrying of firearms by military personnel. Yes Clinton made it part of military regulation but Bush equally shares the blame and I don’t like either one of them for what they did. I even had to listen to an ignorant Staff Sergeant and even a Captain tell me I gave up my 2nd amendment rights when I enlisted.
