Following a review of security policies at Ohio National Guard facilities, Ohio guardsmen and women will now be permitted to carry firearms in defense of self and others. In the past, Guard members were unable to carry in part because they work on state property, where guns are typically prohibited. But after a review, ordered by Gov. John Kasich after July’s attack on military personnel in Chattanooga, Tenn., found that potential risks such as accidental discharge were small compared with the proven danger of terrorists and others targeting these imaginary “gun-free zones,” the policies were revised. All 72 Guard facilities will now have at least some armed personnel.
In announcing the change, Maj. Gen. Mark Bartman said, “We must take necessary action to protect our members.” We applaud these new policies aimed at keeping Ohio’s brave men and women in uniform safe, and hope other states soon follow suit.
