TEXAS, INDIANA, FLORIDA, ARKANSAS, OKLAHOMA, AND LOUISIANA to arm all National Guardsmen in wake of Tennessee massacre of U.S. military personnel by a devout Muslim

Bare Naked Islam 

Very surprisingly, Tennessee isn’t yet one of the states that has announced it will place armed National Guardsmen at military facilities around the state. Neither has Georgia, where armed civilians have taken it upon themselves to stand guard in front of military facilities.

Times Free Press  Governors in Indiana, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma have ordered National Guardsmen to be armed. Tennessee, where five servicemembers were killed Thursday in a brutal attack on military facilities, has yet to take any action, but pressure is building for officials to do more to protect members of the military from acts of terrorism. 

 

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is allowing the Indiana National Guard to have its personnel be armed at all recruiting offices and state military facilities. Pence issued his executive order Saturday, saying he won’t let Guardsmen be unable to defend themselves and others at facilities in the state. The governor’s order also directs the state adjutant general to review ways to improve security at all Indiana National Guard facilities and recruiting offices.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is also authorizing his state’s adjutant general to arm full-time Oklahoma National Guardsmen at military facilities. Fallin issued an executive order on Friday granting Maj. Gen. Robbie Asher the authority to arm National Guard soldiers and airmen with whatever weaponry he deems necessary to adequately provide for their safety and security. 

Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz says without the state authority, National Guardsmen revert to federal policies, which call for them to be unarmed. Fallin issued a separate executive order late Friday that calls for all American and Oklahoma flags on state property be flown at half-staff through Monday in honor of the four Marines killed at a military facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he, too, has authorized the adjutant general of the Texas National Guard to arm Guardsmen at military facilities across Texas. “After the recent shooting in Chattanooga, it has become clear that our military personnel must have the ability to defend themselves against these type of attacks on our own soil,” Abbot said. “Arming the National Guard at these bases will not only serve as a deterrent to anyone wishing to do harm to our service men and women, but will enable them to protect those living and working on the base.”

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is ordering National Guard recruiters at six storefront locations to relocated to their nearest armory. Scott announced the order Saturday. He wants a review of security at the Guard recruitment centers, possibly installing bullet-proof glass at the storefronts or video surveillance equipment.

 

On Friday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson authorized Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Mark Berry to arm full-time military personnel.

 

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal, another presidential candidate, issued an executive order authorizing the state’s National Guard adjutant general to arm personnel at Guard facilities to provide protection. In his proclamation, Jindal says the adjutant general should “identify and arm certain Guard personnel currently on state active duty … as reasonably necessary to preserve the lives, property, and security of themselves and other persons subject to threat of an attack as occurred this week in Chattanooga, Tennessee.”

 

On Friday, Gen. Ray Odierno, chief of staff of the Army, said that security at military recruiting and reserve centers would be reviewed but that it was too early to say whether the facilities should have security guards or other increased protection. He told reporters that arming troops in those offices could cause more problems than it might solve.