Well, the gate guards and police are armed. But regular sdiers rarely have access to their weapons and even then, they only get live ammunition at a range. So, there are actually very few people on a base with access to weapons and ammo. But of course everyone on the base (just about) knows how to shoot multiple weapons and they are fairly comfortable with guns in general.
Deployed it's different. Everyone in Iraq has a weapon almost all the time and they likely have ammo too.
Eta: I should add that doctors and chaplains don't do much weapons training, if any. It's very odd to me that the shooter was a doctor, an officer, and apparently conspired with others.
There was supposed to be a 5:45 press confernce, was/is there?
The local area news website I was just reading said MAJ Hasan was to be deployed.
Ion - the wind is blowing crazy and it just started raining - boo hiss weather.
For Billytea (and anyone else who needs to stop hitting refresh on the Ft Hood story) - baby echidnas.
I know! I've never been to Perth, maybe I should rectify that.
An old friend of mine and her husband are in the process of leaving Ft. Hood. She's just gotten him back after a year in Iraq.
I am trusting in Hood's enormity that he is fine, but as soon as someone sees a list of names please link it.
NYT is reporting it has obtained the shooter's military record, he was born in the US, and listed no religious preference.
I think by now we know a seekrit muslim when we see one...
I actually heard on NPR that he was disciplined early in his career for proselytizing. I think that might have been pre-Army.
