Tester urges immediate action to ensure service members are protected at military facilities

Senator calls on Defense Department to conduct risk assessment at recruiting centers

(U.S. Senate) – Senator Jon Tester is urging the Defense Department to immediately perform a risk assessment on all military facilities, including recruiting centers, to ensure the protection of service members and civilians.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Tester highlighted the obvious vulnerabilities that exist in the aftermath of last week’s tragic shooting at a Chattanooga, Tennessee Marine Corps recruiting center and U.S. Naval Reserve Center. Understanding that our nation’s military leaders do not support arming all military personnel, Tester asked the Secretary to thoroughly consider all security options in order to ensure the safety of service members.

“It is unacceptable for our service men and women to be put in harm’s way without having the necessary protections to properly respond to everyday threats,” Tester wrote. “The tragedy that has resulted in the death of five of our nation’s finest serves as yet another wakeup call that the Department can no longer rest on policies and assessments that can become outdated at a moment’s notice. We must be nimble and adapt to the nature of the threats that are shifting around us.”

Tester, a lifelong gun-owner, has twice led successful bipartisan efforts to push the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down state and local government bans and restrictions on gun ownership.

Tester’s letter to Secretary Ash Carter is available online HERE.