Armed Men Guarding Ohio Military Recruiting Centers
They say they plan to protect recruiters following last week’s killing of four Marines and a sailor in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Numerous guard members see their stand as a simple way to show support for the military.
Like many others around the country, the Texan has decided to stand guard at a military recruiting center.
The Republican governor has yet to authorize members of the National Guard to carry weapons while on duty.
“We are just providing a presence, hopefully, that will deter anybody”.
“It reminds me a lot of right after 9/11, when we had Guardsmen in the airports [though not in Delaware]”, Gratteri said.
The ice cream was provided by Sarah Queer, who works at an insurance office across the street. “You just don’t know their state of mind”, said Kimm McLaughlin, 44.
Armed civilians have reported that they are supporting the recruiters, who by military instruction are not armed.
Most of the volunteers on Wednesday have never served in the military.
“While we greatly appreciate the support of the American public during this tragedy, we ask that citizens do not stand guard at our recruiting offices”, Stenger said in a statement.
Age-old policies and directives prohibit weapons inside the recruiting centers. Reinhold said only that the FBI would investigate every possibility and every relative, no matter where they are located.
At a hair styling business next door, the reaction was positive.
Mansfield residents Shawn Martin, 39, and Olen Pittman, 35, stood near a “Protect our Troops” sign with handguns tucked in their waistbands.
“I’m sure the citizens mean well, but we cannot assume this in every case and we do not want to advocate this behavior”, Army Command Operations Center-Security Division letter said.
A recruiting center employee declined to comment on the matter.
“We think it is important to get our recruiters back out in the communities, so our plan is to increase security vigilance and measures using internal resources and also by partnering with local law enforcement”, Gratteri said.
Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, 24, opened fire at a recruiting station and a Navy and Marine reserve center on Thursday. These men and women are trained to defend our country.
“As long as it’s licensed in the state of Indiana and they meet the safety requirements, then they’re able to carry it inside the armories in a concealed fashion”, Public Affairs Specialist for Joint Force Headquarters Catalina Carrasco said. The safety of our Marines is our primary concern and we will continue to remain vigilante, proactive, and unpredictable in order to thwart potential incidents.
“Immediately report any civilians loitering near the Station/Center to local police if the recruiter feels threatened”.