American Citizens Step Up to Guard Military Recruiting Centers

American Citizens Step Up to Guard Military Recruiting Centers

Following last week’s shooting incident in Chattanooga, Tenn. that claimed the lives of four Marines, citizens around the country are stepping up to help protect military recruiting centers. By military directive, recruiters are not armed, and therefore, are unable to protect themselves should another incident like the one in Chattanooga occur.

Even though there is no evidence that recruiting centers are in danger, citizens have organized and set up posts in several cities including, Madison, Wisconsin; Hiram, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona and several locations in Tennessee. In Ohio, where it is legal to carry an openly displayed handgun or rifle, for example, five members of the “3 Percent Irregulars” militia sat in lawn chairs with a cooler filled with water or stood around talking outside a military recruitment center. As people walked by, some thanked them while others didn’t even seem aware of their presence.

Founder and president of Oath Keepers, a Constitution activist group based in Las Vegas, thinks that it’s “insane” for recruiters not to be allowed to be armed, referring them to “sitting ducks” since they are stationary.

In Arizona, armed volunteers of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Posse patrolled around Army Reserve offices near Phoenix. An Army Reserve captain had requested extra security and the sheriff stationed three posse members just outside the grounds. The posse could enter the property if extra security was needed.

In Georgia, a group of four people with their personal firearms stood outside a recruiting office in Hiram to show their support. They had a pop-up tent, lawn chairs and American flags.

While one Marine Corps public affairs officer appreciates the support of the American public, he is advising gun-toting civilians to leave and trust first responders for safety in the various communities. He believes that recruiting stations need to be out in the public and that most recruiters are Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans who are well trained in dealing with shooters. (This may be so, but at least in Afghanistan and Iraq, I venture to say they were armed!)

Image from: http://www.breitbart.com/.

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.