Why are personnel living in installation housing at Andrews AFB allowed to store weapons in their quarters?

2023-02-11T00:19:49-05:00

Military Spouse Opened Fire During Breach at Andrews Air Force Base. I thought all personnel living in installation housing MUST store weapons in the armory. Has things changed?

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2023 4:20 AM

2023-02-11T04:20:38-05:00

I would be more concerned with the security failures that allowed the unauthorized intruder access to the installation and sensitive areas.

Response by COL Randall C. made Feb 11 at 2023 9:11 AM

2023-02-11T09:11:56-05:00

Except in a few situations overseas, all people living in the barracks must store weapons in the arms room. However, this usually doesn't apply to on-post housing.

You have to register your weapon with the police if you are keeping it on-post and can't carry unless transporting them from point A to point B (i.e., unloaded, out of reach, etc), but all (at least, that I know of and I haven't been able to find any otherwise) military installations do not require people living in on-base housing to keep them in an arms room (JBA doesn't).

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Feb 11 at 2023 9:43 AM

2023-02-11T09:43:52-05:00

So they can protect themselves against bad things from happening like this??

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2023 10:20 AM

2023-02-11T10:20:04-05:00

If Andrews AFB allows weapons to be kept in the homes.....better question though: How was the perp able to get onto base?

Response by MSG Thomas Currie made Feb 11 at 2023 10:52 AM

2023-02-11T10:52:28-05:00

Nothing has changed. At nearly every military post in the United States, for at least a half century, service members must register any personally owned weapons with the military police on the post; service members living in barracks have to have their weapons stored in the arms room, service members living off post or in family housing are generally allowed to store their weapons in their quarters. Some installations may also allow personally owned weapons to be stored in individual bachelor quarters other installations require storage in an arms room. Pretty much every installation prohibits any carrying of personally owned weapons except directly to and from authorized locations.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2023 12:57 PM

2023-02-11T12:57:25-05:00

I guess you thought wrong??? People living in military housing are certainly allowed to own firearms. Most Army (and probably other services) bases even have a range for people to shoot at on their own time.

Response by SSG Bill McCoy made Feb 11 at 2023 3:06 PM

2023-02-11T15:06:48-05:00

It's called the 2nd Amendment. If you live in a barracks like setting, most bases require personal weapons to be stored in the unit Arms Room. In base HOUSING ... rarely.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2023 8:55 PM

2023-02-11T20:55:57-05:00

You can have weapons in on post housing as long as they are registered and your commander signs off on it. It is the commander's discretion since they can refuse to sign off on your paperwork. You can never keep weapons in the barracks.

Response by SPC James Neidig made Feb 12 at 2023 1:37 AM

2023-02-12T01:37:07-05:00

I Have Been Out For 21 Years And We Could Keep Firearms In On Post Family Housing ,
They Had To Be Registered With The Provost Office

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2023 4:20 PM

2023-02-13T16:20:12-05:00

My question is not with the shooter being in base policy or not for possessing a firearm in base housing (although that is a real concern) but rather that it was reported in social media that the shot fired by the quarters resident was a warning???? shot. If true, so many things from so many different angles to discuss about that including that if the shooter fired a warning shot versus a shot to stop the threat then they, or other housing residents, were not in clear immediate danger to justify firing a shot in the first place... And that the shooter was reportedly the spouse of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and, if that is true, the issues of transparency and fairness in the investigation, punishment, including expulsion from base housing, as opposed to Airman whoever's spouse shooting the warning shot... And was there a 911 call attempt?
Of course we all have questions regarding base security procedures failures for this incident and other reported incidents at such a high security facility, like basically WTF.