Gov. Walker Issues Executive Order to Arm Wisconsin National Guard

Gov. Scott Walker has issued an executive order allowing Wisconsin National Guard members to carry weapons while they are on duty.

“Safety must be our top priority, especially in light of the horrific attack in Chattanooga”, the Republican presidential hopeful said in a statement.

He noted numerous state guard’s recruiting centers are already in armories, providing a level of security for personnel stationed there.

In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott ordered the National Guard to move its recruiters from six storefront locations around the state and put them in armories until the storefronts could be better secured.

Walker said he is also directing Gen. Donald Dunbar to evaluate longer-term plans to ensure the safety of guard members.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, said last week he will introduce legislation “calling for the termination of regulations that prohibit members of the Armed Forces from carrying certain firearms on military installations”.

Walker’s executive order comes three days after he called for the end of “gun-free zones”, a federal policy limiting weapons at military facilities.

The governor says he wants Wisconsin National Guard members to be able to protect themselves from attack, citing the shootings that killed five servicemen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last week.