Too many service members and citizens have lost their lives at home on military installations due negligent and naive watch standing procedures and suffocating gun laws. The Department of Defense cannot do this on their own; they need civilian directed leadership. Sign this petition.

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We as a nation must face the reality that this world is not safe.  We are no longer fighting wars conventionally, and we are foolish to continue to ignore the evidence.   

Outside the room where ENS Watson’s grieving family gathered stood an armed civilian security guard. ENS Joshua Kaleb Watson, AW3 Mohammed “Mo” Haitham, and AW3 Cameron Walters, the sentries standing watch that evening did not have that opportunity they were only armed with a clipboard.  A clipboard, that was covered in blood in the same amount of time it could have taken to draw their firearms had they been afforded the opportunity. While no one can know if those men would have survived that tragic morning, a reasonable person can conclude that the shooter would be less likely to engage building 633 knowing that there was an armed sentry awaiting his evil. 

In the wake of the Fort Hood shooting and the NAS Pensacola shooting, Facebook and other social media platforms exploded with the same question ENS Watson's uncle asked as soon as he arrived at the hospital to hear of his nephews murder: Why did he not have a firearm? The vast majority sighted an army instruction.  That instruction is derived from Department of Defense Directive (DODD) 5210.56, a directive signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Atwood at the direction of President Bush and implemented by President Clinton.  This policy states that its purpose is to, “limit and control the carrying of firearms by DoD military and civilian personnel.  The authorization to carry firearms shall be issued only to qualified personnel when there is a reasonable expectation that life or DoD assets will be jeopardized if firearms are not carried.”  In November of 2016, two and a half years after the Fort Hood shooting, Deputy Secretary of Defense  Robert O. Work under President Barack Obama’s administration provided the most recent update to the directive.  The update allows DoD Component Heads (such as branch Secretaries) to “consider standardizing procedures [and] authorizations” for DoD personnel to carry firearms.  This is not enough.  The evidence is clear; the DoD must raise the standard.  Two standard procedures to consider include: 1.) Every sentry whose duty is to protect “DoD life and assets” shall be armed after completing the appropriate training and qualification standard.  2.) Military personnel shall be authorized to conceal carry a personal firearm after the completion of a Personnel Qualification Standard or service equivalent.  Service members do not have the power and authority to fix the problem on their own.  They need guidance and direction from their civilian leadership.  

Service members swear an oath to protect the United States Constitution, and they are prepared to give their lives in its defense.  Situations where they may lose their lives include combat and dangerous training exercises.  They are not supposed to be murdered in cold blood at home due to irresponsible and naive policies that continue to ignore facts and evidence. Enough is enough. We MUST give our nations heroes a fighting chance in the face of evil.  We cannot stop every bad person from doing bad things, but at the minimum we can provide a robust standard of deterrence.

Sign this petition!