USAF May be Budging (a little) on Concealed Carry on Base

[Hump66]

Signs of promise, but all of that is geared towards carry of government issued firearms on/off duty. Authorizing concealed carry of POWs on base is another story altogether and I doubt our Air Force will ever authorize that. You know how risk averse commanders are...

Not all of them...

http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123464561

by Airman 1st Class Katherine Miller
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/3/2015 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Changes to the Dyess Force Protection Plan, signed and approved by Col. David Benson, 7th Bomb Wing commander, now permits authorized personnel that possess a current and valid Texas Concealed Handgun License or a reciprocating state concealed carry license to transport and secure privately-owned handguns in privately-owned vehicles within legal boundaries of Dyess Air Force Base.

 

[SMS]

Kudos to that CC...but notice he did not authorize CC of POWs.

 

[Sanford]

Kudos to that CC...but notice he did not authorize CC of POWs.

It may not seem like much, but it's a huge step forward - at least they don't have to be disarmed traveling to and from the base as is the case with most military installations.

 

[gerhard1]

Don't get any hopes up. Don't forget who the Commander in Chief is.

Woody

Good point.

 

[SMS]

It may not seem like much, but it's a huge step forward - at least they don't have to be disarmed traveling to and from the base as is the case with most military installations.

Truth

 

[Dave70968]

Not all of them...
12/3/2015 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Changes to the Dyess Force Protection Plan, signed and approved by Col. David Benson, 7th Bomb Wing commander, now permits authorized personnel that possess a current and valid Texas Concealed Handgun License or a reciprocating state concealed carry license to transport and secure privately-owned handguns in privately-owned vehicles within legal boundaries of Dyess Air Force Base.[/I]

The devil is in the details. Who are "authorized personnel?"

 

[Rod Snell]

Who are "authorized personnel?"

Individuals wishing to transport a handgun must also have a valid Department of Defense identification card or Common Access Card and also hold one of the following statues: active duty personnel, Reserve personnel, National Guard personnel, retired military personnel, dependents of active duty personnel or Department of Defense civilians. However, private contractors, visitors or holders of special/one-time passes are not allowed to bring their handguns into the legal boundary of Dyess AFB at any time.

http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123464561

I'm authorized.
Notice that I get to TRANSPORT, not carry loaded. This makes it closer to what I can do at Ft Sill, but not exactly the same.

 

[Sanford]

http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123464561

I'm authorized.
Notice that I get to TRANSPORT, not carry loaded. This makes it closed to what I can do at Ft Sill, but not exactly the same.

Unless something's changed in the recent past I believe that at Fort Sill "transport" is limited to...

1) Weapons listed on a PMO approved permit
2) Directly to and from the POW range
3) May not be locked in a vehicle

There may be an exception on (2) for gas stops at the PXtra but I'm not certain.

So, say a retiree wants to drive from Altus to Fort Sill to for a VA appointment, for instance. They have to be disarmed for the entire trip unless they have a locker outside the gate at a bowling alley or some such to leave their weapon before they enter the installation. Basically Fort Sill's policy deprives those that would do business there of their 2A rights both on *and off* the installation. For that reason alone the Dyess commander's policy is way ahead.

 

[Rod Snell]

Unless something's changed in the recent past I believe that at Fort Sill "transport" is limited to...

1) Weapons listed on a PMO approved permit
2) Directly to and from the POW range
3) May not be locked in a vehicle

There may be an exception on (2) for gas stops at the PXtra but I'm not certain.

So, say a retiree wants to drive from Altus to Fort Sill to for a VA appointment, for instance. They have to be disarmed for the entire trip unless they have a locker outside the gate at a bowling alley or some such to leave their weapon before they enter the installation. Basically Fort Sill's policy deprives those that would do business there of their 2A rights both on *and off* the installation. For that reason alone the Dyess commander's policy is way ahead.

Meant to say "closer" , not "closed." Yes, I agree, the Dyess policy appears more flexible based on their web site, but I don't have the entire Dyess reg like I do the Ft Sill one. One thing I can do on Ft Sill if the Skeet range is open , is leave the shotgun at the skeet range, go shopping, then go back to the range, shoot skeet, and go home. Don't know what Dyess policy is on use of ranges.
Dyess is actually returning to more like what USAF used to be, with authorized personnel transporting and storing POW in POV. As an active duty officer, I qualified as a range office on most bases I was stationed on, and could use the ranges for POW whenever not in official use. Nothing like 20 min on the pistol range after work to lower the stress level.