Hunter introduces legislation to arm military recruiters
U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) recently introduced legislation to allow military officers to carry weapons at military recruitment centers.
The move follows the deadly shootings in Chattanooga, Tenn., that killed four Marines and a sailor on July 16 when Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez opened fire at two military recruiting centers and was eventually killed by police, according to reports.
Hunter, who represents the 50th congressional district that includes Ramona, called the recruiting centers “soft targets.”
“I think you’re going to have more of this unfortunately,” he told the Sentinel.
The Securing Military Personnel Response Firearm Initiative (SEMPER FI) Act, which was introduced in the House and Senate, allows the military to authorize recruiters to be armed when they’re at recruitment centers and the option to improve structural security at recruitment centers. The bill also limits the carrying of a sidearm to officers and non-commissioned officers.
A directive issued by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in February 1992 limited the carrying of firearms by DOD military and civilian personnel, and was reissued in April 2011.
“What happened in Tennessee is an absolute tragedy,” said Hunter, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan. “All the talk about security upgrades to recruiting offices is fine, but the simple act of arming qualified personnel in these spaces presents the most effective line of defense. It’s a reality of the post 9-11 world that terrorists and radicals will look to strike soft targets and we shouldn’t pretend that incidents similar to what happened in Tennessee couldn’t happen elsewhere.
“Military recruiters embody the spirit, patriotism and values that not only make our military great, but our nation too. They are targets, as are others in uniform, and they should be afforded the type of protection that is adequate for the threat they face.”
The SEMPER FI Act has garnered support from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America.