Guest Editorial

By Capt. Joseph R. John   |  SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

Congressman Duncan D. Hunter and Senator Steve Daines introduce bicameral legislation to allow military to carry weapons at recruitment centers

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The first attack by terrorists on uniformed military personnel in a US Armed Forces Recruiting Center, occurred in March 2008 in Times Square where a bomb was detonated by an attacker, and a security camera recorded a bicycle rider rapidly scrabbling to leave the scene just before the bomb detonated.  Then the US Armed Forces Recruiting Center in Little Rock, Arkansas was attacked in June 2009 by a radical Islamic terrorist, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, who shot two soldiers, and killed one of them, PVT William Long, USA.  Then Maj Malik Nadal Hassan, a Radical Islamic Terrorist, killed 15 soldiers and wounded 30 others at Fort Hood. TX on November 5, 2009.  In October and November 2010, there were drive by shootings at two US Armed Forces Recruiting Centers in Northern Virginia, Quantico US Marine Corps Base, and the Pentagon by an Ethiopian Radical Islamic Terrorist, Yonathan Melaku. 

Recently, the FBI reported that callers identifying themselves as Muslims have been threatening the lives of military families in Colorado and Wyoming. 

There have been numerous other terrorist threats and plots against military installations and institutions.  Most recently, on July 16, 2015, there was an attack on uniformed military personnel at the US Armed Forces Recruiting Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee by a Kuwaiti born Radical Islamic Terrorist, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeeza.  The FBI reported that Muhammad Abdulazeeza had traveled to Jordan and Yemen last year, possibly for training, before he murdered four US Marines and a Navy Petty Officer with an AK-47.   

Military personnel in uniform at US Armed Forces Recruiting Centers have been targeted by Radical Islamic Terrorist, because they know that the Obama administration has issued Defense Department Directive 5210.56 which prevents military personnel from being armed at US Armed Forces Recruiting Centers.  In the event of an attack by Radical Islamic Terrorists, DOD Directive 5210.56 prevents qualified US military officers and non-commissioned officers from defending themselves and preventing the loss of life of members of their units with side arms.

Following the shooting in Chattanooga (the 7th attack on military personnel in uniform), the DOD issued orders for members of the US Armed Forces not to wear their uniforms at US Armed Forces Recruiting Centers; that shameful directive was viewed by members of the US Armed Forces, as a cowardly and disgraceful measure ever issued to military personnel by DOD.  It follows a disgraceful order issued to the US Border Patrol Agents; they were ordered to hide, when Illegal Aliens throw heavy barrages of large rocks at them that could result in concussions and other life threatening injuries, and not to employ their side arms to protect themselves.   

An endorsed and elected Combat Veterans For Congress, Cong Duncan D Hunter, Maj-USMCR, (R-CA-50), took decisive action and introduced Bicameral Legislation, the SEMPER FI Act, on July 20, 2015 (4 days after the terrorist attack in Chattanooga).  The legislation is outlined in the attachment; the bill was authored by Congressman Hunter, jointly with a Senate measure authored by Senator Steve Danes (R-MT-Senate).  The SEMPER FI Act allows for military officers and non–commissioned officers, who are trained and qualified in the employment of side arms, to carry service issued side arms to protect themselves and the personnel in their units from terrorist attacks at US Armed Forces Recruiting Centers. 

For nearly 7 years, Radical Islamic Terrorists have been easily entering the United States across the wide open US southern border and thru the UN Muslim only Refugee Resettlement Program without having their backgrounds checked for terrorist ties (which is a violation of US Federal Immigration Laws).  According to the FBI, over 200 Muslims who received US citizenship thru Obama’s fast track US Citizenship program, as well as radicalized Muslims living in the US, used their US Passports to travel to the Middle East, and are now training and fighting in Syria, Iraq, and Africa with ISIS, crucifying, burning, shooting, raping, an beheading Syrian and Assyrian Christians. 

Those Radical Islamic Terrorists with US Citizenship will eventually return to the United States to utilize their experience in combat, to initiate terrorist attacks in the United States, in order to kill Christians and Americans of the Jewish faith.  The Obama administration hasn’t had plans to arrest retuning Radical Islamic Terrorist with US Citizenship who have been fighting with ISIS; it is assumed that some of those newly trained Radical Islamic Terrorists have returned to the US and are hiding in plain sight.  The US passports of those returning Radical Islamic Terrorists, with US Citizenship, should be collected, the terrorist should be charges with sedition as enemies of the Republic, incarcerated until they can be tried, and they should then be tried as domestic enemies of the United States.

Joseph R. John, USNA ‘62
Capt. USN(Ret)
Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC
2307 Fenton Parkway, Suite 107-184
San Diego, CA 92108
http://www.CombatVeteransForCongress.org