Army Chief Nominee Backs Arming Recruiters in Some Cases

Posted 2015-07-22 18:28 by Grunt Report

Gen. Mark Milley said Tuesday that as Army chief of staff he would give serious consideration to arming recruiters to boost force protection in the aftermath of the Chattanooga shootings in which four Marines and a sailor were killed.

“In some cases, I think it’s appropriate,” Milley said of the controversial issue of having recruiters carry weapons for self-defense at shopping malls and downtown storefronts nationwide that were intended to be open and inviting to potential volunteers.

At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Milley said that arming recruiters was “complicated legally” by a patchwork of state laws.

However, if the legal aspects can be resolved, “I think under certain conditions — both on military bases and in outstations, recruiting stations, reserve centers — we should seriously consider it,” Milley said.

In nearly two hours of testimony, Milley also staked out positions on a range of issues that could put him at odds with the White House if he is confirmed to succeed Gen. Ray Odierno as the next Army chief of staff.

When asked for his “unvarnished advice” on Iraq by Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Conn., Milley said he was open to having U.S. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) on the front lines and also to having U.S. advisers embedded with front-line Iraqi units. The use of JTACs and ground advisers have both been ruled out thus far by the Obama administration.

“JTACs forward is something that should be seriously considered to improve the effectiveness of the enablers, the close air support that is being provided,” Milley said.

Milley, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, added that “I think advisers going forward with units, again, is something that should be seriously considered. However, there are a lot of issues with that — with security of our people and the risk associated with it.”