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Letters

VULNERABLE AT HOME

What happened at Fort Hood was a horrible tragedy [“13 killed in shooting spree at Army post,” Nov. 16]. To assume it will never happen again is ludicrous. There will always be people that go off the deep end. Whether they are terrorists or disgruntled service members, history has shown that sometimes people wreak death and destruction upon unsuspecting and unprepared people.

Why do our commands think we are so safe at home that we should be defenseless? Is it because, although we are the most highly trained military in the world, we cannot be trusted with weapons? Don’t we all work on some of the most legitimate terrorist targets — military bases? Why is it that after four combat deployments and 14 years of continual training, I am not trusted enough to defend my own life when I am on a base in the U.S.?

This tragedy has let slip the ultimate valuable intelligence to the enemy. Marines and soldiers are never armed when they are in garrison. While deployed, we carry weapons responsibly. We have ammo. We are accountable for our weapons like we are accountable for the rest of our equipment, and mass shootings are not common during deployments. How many times did an individual go crazy and start shooting friendlies while deployed? I assure you that the few times it happened, the person was stopped promptly. Why? Because everyone was armed and ready to defend their own lives.

Don’t you think that some of the dead and wounded soldiers at Fort Hood would have wanted to be able to defend themselves? Wouldn’t you? We are at war and should act like it. As the standard rule of engagement goes, “the right to self-defense is never denied.”

Either all service members should be armed at all times while on base, or selected “guardian angels” should be designated by commands to carry weapons at all times.

The Marine Corps is not immune to this kind of attack.

Maj. Darren Alvarez

Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.

The Defense Department has made it illegal to carry a weapon on a military installation even if you have a concealed carry permit.

In the words of a soldier at Fort Hood:

“I was confused and just shocked,” Spc. Jerry Richard, 27, told Fox News. “Overseas you are ready for it. But here you can’t even defend yourself.”

You can’t even defend yourself. That’s unconstitutional and wrong. Our rights, even on military installations, are being denied. If even one person at Fort Hood had been permitted to conceal-carry, imagine how different things could have ended. Maybe this will wake [officials] up.

Air Force Maj. Richard M. Gollner, (ret.)

Tucson, Ariz.

POLICE TRAINING A PLUS

As a retired reserve officer and retired law enforcement officer, I read your “Grunts on the beat” article [Nov. 23] with great interest and had the following thoughts:

First of all, I think it is a good idea to incorporate law enforcement tactics with some — but not all —military operations.

Second, why is the Marine Corps paying so much money to advisers when there are so many experienced, big-city police officers, federal agents, deputy sheriffs and state troopers in their reserve ranks? If the Corps hired from within and got reservists involved, it would solve money and trust issues right off the bat.

Third, I agree that the police officers participating in this program need to be from big cities and have experience dealing with street gangs. The last thing this program needs is someone who read the book but hasn’t walked the walk.

The talent needed is already within the Corps. Don’t forget New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was a reserve colonel at one time.

Col. Joe Vaccaro (ret.)

Eastern Shore of Va.

EASE MEMBERSHIP RULES

It’s lamentable that the ranks of the American Legion will continue to dwindle because the Legion will not accept veterans that proudly served their country between wars.

Many members at many American Legion posts are World War II veterans who are passing away.

If the Legion doesn’t start accepting the “in-betweeners,” who is going to man the colors? They must change their rules.

Air Force Master Sgt. Miguel S. Macias (ret.)

Lafayette, La.

HIGHLIGHT THE GOOD

I read Marines Corp Times online every day, and I am always angered by the fact that you always have articles about former Marines and their negative run-ins with the law. Although we will all be former Marines when we decide to leave the Corps, why must you continue to associate the negative exploits of former Marines with the Corps? What does the fact that he or she was a former Marine have to do with their crimes? You might as well call the paper the “Marine Corps Crimes.”

Why not focus stories on the good that current Marines are doing? Leave the former ones out since they have no impact on what we are now doing in the Corps.

All your stories do is draw negative attention to our Corps and attention away from the active-duty Marines who are busting their butts every day.

Maj. Roger T. Mahar

Jacksonville, N.C.