In response to the Chattanooga shootings that left five servicemen dead, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has sent a letter to Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) of the Senate Armed Services Committee requesting a hearing to cover the efforts the Department of Defense (DOD) is taking regarding the protection of its service members and their families on U.S. military installations and satellite locations.
In the letter, Inhofe said the attack on unarmed servicemen raises serious questions regarding base security:
“The attacks on the Combined Armed Forces Recruiting Center and the Naval Operational Support Center and Marine Reserve Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee on July 16th, 2015, resulting in the deaths of four Marines, one Sailor and injuries to others, have again raised great concerns with me about the security of our service members in and out of uniform, civilian employees, and their dependents.
As such, I respectfully request that you, as Chairman and Ranking Member, schedule a hearing as soon as possible on the efforts the Department of Defense (DOD) is reviewing and/or taking regarding force protection of its service members and their families.”
One issue the hearing should address, he says, is “ability to increase manning of armed security personnel either permanently or through an auxiliary status, authority for military personnel to carry government firearms both concealed and openly carry to and from duty.”
It is especially important to address military security now, “when our nation is at war,” Inhofe concludes.
Inhofe says witnesses should include:
- Secretary of Defense,
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and
- Chiefs/Commandants of each of the respective services
On July 16, Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, a 24-year-old male and naturalized US citizen, opened fire at a Tennessee recruiting station and a Navy reserve center. Abdulazeez killed four Marines, one Sailor and injured two others. The shooting is being investigated as an “act of terrorism.”
Sen. Inhofe's full letter is below:
