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July 24, 2015 09:39 AM UTC

Army To Recruiting Station Vigilantes: Go Home

  • 22 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols
AKA a security threat too.
AKA a security threat too.

Happy to relay a public service announcement from U.S. Army Gen. Ray Odierno to all the “good citizens” brandishing firearms outside local military recruiting centers in the wake of the Chattanooga shootings–as the Colorado Springs Gazette’s Tom Roeder reported yesterday from Odierno’s press availability in Colorado Springs:

“I’m concerned we’re really on the razor’s edge at 450,000 [total troops],” the general said before noting that his biggest fear is sending untrained troops to a future war because the Army lacked strength and readiness.

The smaller Army isn’t the only thing that Odierno expressed fear over.

The general said he’s also worried about armed bands of civilians who have taken up patrolling outside military recruiting stations in the wake of shootings in Tennessee last week that left five troops dead.

Odierno said he thinks the patrolling civilians, including a band that’s on watch outside a station near Academy Boulevard and Vickers Drive, are well intentioned, but could be doing more harm than good.

“I worry it creates a dangerous situation,” Odierno said, noting if an incident happened, confusion could lead to civilian deaths.

Army newspaper Stars and Stripes was a little more blunt:

The Army has warned its recruiters to treat the gun-toting civilians gathering at centers across the country in the wake of the Chattanooga, Tenn., shooting as a security threat.

Soldiers should avoid anyone standing outside the recruiting centers attempting to offer protection and report them to local law enforcement and the command if they feel threatened, according to a U.S. Army Recruiting Command policy letter issued Monday…

“I’m sure the citizens mean well, but we cannot assume this in every case [Pols emphasis] and we do not want to advocate this behavior,” according to the Army Command Operations Center-Security Division letter, which was authenticated by the service.

It may come as a shock to that vocal percentage of Americans who believe more guns are the solution to every problem, but guns around military installations–especially guns not under the strict control of military commanders–is not a solution to, you know, anything. In fact, it’s just another security problem for people who don’t need more security problems.

So go play some paintball or something, big boys.

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22 thoughts on “Army To Recruiting Station Vigilantes: Go Home”

  1. I wonder how many of those Rambos are veterans? 
    I wonder why they don't just step inside and sign up? 
    I wonder how many could pass the test?
    I wonder why they yammer on and on about flying the flag at half staff for 5 soldiers killed in TN, but not 4000 killed in Iraq.

    So many questions.

  2. The second amendment calls for a "well-regulated militia". These guys are not regulated, and not a militia. I don't know what the solution is to keep people safe inside recruiting stations, but I expect it will need to include trained professionals, maybe screening devices or searches – not more guns outside the building.

  4. I imagine that Dudley's already got Shawn Mitchell and David Kopel preparing his RMGO ("no compromise") lawsuit against the U.S. Army . . . ?????

  5. How easy would it be for the next crazy or terrorist to just blend in with the well meaning self appointed civilian guardians? I understand the long tradition whereby the military doesn't bear arms on our streets because the military is not to be used against the people but it seems as though having recruiting offices and other military facilities in the midst of our communities guarded by armed military police would be a good idea that wouldn't violate that principle and wouldn't mean taking too many of our police away from their duties to the larger community.

    1. I like Bluecat's idea of assigning military police to guard recruiting centers. Pueblo did receive a threat prior to the shooting in Chattanooga, as did several other recruiting centers.

      The right wing blogs I read got this all wrong and distorted, of course – they say that the threat was confirmed to be from ISIS, that 100s of servicemember's names and addresses were published…none of that was true.

      But some of these guys standing watch mean well, but they are just not disciplined. They're not necessarily trained in gun safety,  They're not accountable to anyone.

      If we want to make the gunzos happy, we should actually train a citizen "militia". Oh, wait…we have one….the National Guard.blush

      1. That the fact that something is not illegal does not mean that it is not stupid (as your Constitutionally protected exercise of free speech demonstrates). I drove by the recruiting office in Golden today and saw a couple of idiots outside with their guns.  Although I am frustrated with their idiocy, it does not affect me, personally.  On the other hand, there are Army and Marine recruiters who now have one more thing to worry about.  This is multi-level stupidity, but the most troublesome aspect is that the gun nuts are causing more problems for the very people that they are claiming to protect.

        1. Like this guy posted up in front of a recruitment center, who neglected to check the chamber before he showed someone his AR15. "Nobody got hurt", he said. No thanks to you, buddy.

      2. These d-bags are just itching for a "Cliven Bundy" show down in Colorado … that's what they are really doing – daring the Feds to come in and tell them to take a hike, so they can point their ARs at them and tell them who is truly in charge – ie, the open carry goon squads that 90% of the country thinks are loons. 

        1. Didn't all the Centennial State's ammosexuals haul ass down to Texas to defend the Lone Star State from JadeHelm15 (or whatever the hell that training operation was called)?

      3. Ummm….. Generals are hippy pantywaists? Why no comment at all on why the military is so much less than thrilled by this idea? Stars and Stripes a hippy rag? Please read the diary before you vomit out another gem. 

  8. wouldn't you love to see a sailor, soldier or Marine drill these guys? For those without military experience that would be marching, standing at attention, presenting arms for inspection, etc. I can see the video 

  9. Civilians — often heavily armed, sometimes dressed in camouflage combat fatigues, and overwhelmingly male — have volunteered to stand guard outside recruiting centers since the shooting July 16 at a military reserve center and a nearby recruiting center in Chattanooga. Among those killed were four United States Marines, a member of the Navy and the gunman, Mohammod Abdulazeez. Two people were wounded.

    The presence of armed civilians outside recruiting centers, which are often located in strip malls and other commercial areas, has sometimes been a source of alarm.

    A Defense official said that Friday’s statement asking volunteers to go home was prompted by an “accidental weapons discharge” from a civilian weapon outside a recruiting station in Lancaster, Ohio, the day before.

    1. Just what we need. Self appointed amateur security in the hands of an army of Barney Fifes. Even if they manage not to accidentally shoot each other or some innocent person who alarms them by being black or walking by with a turban, you're friendly nut bag or terrorist with evil intent can just blend in and start blasting away.

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