In a disheartening story, the Marine Corps Times reported last week that its recruiters will remain unarmed at recruiting centers around the nation. According to Lt. Gen. Mark Brilakis, “All the services … said they don’t want to arm their folks.”
Despite the deaths of five service members in a July attack on two facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn., both firearms and bulletproof glass are among the defensive measures that have been rejected, the latter primarily based on cost (reportedly more than $100 million for recruiting centers nationwide). Training, remote-locking doors and ballistic protection in the form of moveable shields or desk partitions are under consideration.
More worrisome still, however, is another remark by Gen. Brilakis: “… recruiters showing up armed is not going to make either educators or parents comfortable.” Seriously? In other words, the aesthetics of a visible weapon—how it looks—will be allowed to trump actual defensive measures for our troops. Wow.
