In the News

U.S. Sen. John Boozman R-Ark., and U.S. Reps. French Hill, R-Little Rock, and Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, joined Thursday with 67 other members of Congress in calling on the Department of Defense to allow service members to carry firearms at military bases and reserve centers.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, the Congress members said last week’s killing of one sailor and four Marines — including Russellville High School graduate David Wyatt — and the injuring of several other people in Chattanooga, Tenn., is “further irrefutable evidence that domestic terrorism targeting our stateside troops is real and ongoing.”

They listed several other incidents of violence or plots of violence at military facilities, including the June 2009 attack at a Little Rock recruiting center by Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad that left Army Pvt. William Long of Conway dead and Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula of Jacksonville wounded.

“Current Department of Defense regulations, in place since at least 1992, prohibit base commanders from allowing service members to carry personal firearms on military installations,” the members wrote in the letter. “You have the authority to change this directive, and we implore you to do so. Specifically, we ask that you allow the commanding officer at each of our military bases and reserve centers to authorize certain personnel to carry personal firearms as a means of enhanced force protection.”

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed an executive order on Monday allowing Arkansas National Guard full-time military personnel to be armed for protection. The order only applies to Arkansas National Guard installations, however.