Concealed carry

If I have a weapon, I don't care if it's in the RV or not, when I'm asked if I have a weapon, the answer is always going to be "Yes". We were in New England last June and decided to stop at the Submarine base at Groton, Connecticut. When we pulled up to the gate, a security person came up and said your number came up and we need to inspect your vehicle. I had to pull into an area and 2 security persons and a German Shepherd went through my truck and 5th Wheel like they were looking for something special. They didn't find anything including a gun. When I know I'm going to visit military installations I leave my gun at home. If I did have a gun, I'm certainly not going to lie to these people and tell them I don't. To each their own. If you want to screw up your base privileges, that's up to you. I'm not.

The past 2 posts have illustrated what has always been the real issue: Fact is its up to the Post Commander and his Provost Marshall.

26 years in the military and at military posts all over the world and the US it seems everyone has a different set of rules on any given day. Here are just a few things I encountered and or saw:

Ft WeGotcha: TDY, no room on post so I had to motel off post. EVERY Day I wait in line at the MP office to get my ONE DAY ENTRY pass. Common is entry pass for duration of TDY assignment, TDY orders with pass attached and laying on dash of car,

Ft Puritan: I am in line to MP office to get entry pass, ahead of me are a lady and her daughter.

'Mam, you are denied entry onto this post as no women are allowed to wear shorts over the knees!

Who the hell made up that crazy rule? I want to see the the Provost Marshall NOW!!! [Sr NCO comes over and repeats the rule. Woman now screams for the PM AND the Post Commander. Capt comes out, all puffed up and lets her know we have rules and she better pipe down. Woman begins to hover and says we will see about that and she and daughter go outside. I am in uniform and follow her thinking maybe I can calm her down and it got quite heated in there. She looks at me and says Major, thank you but I can take care of this myself. I move off to the side as she take out cell fone and the conversation goes about like this:

First she dials and no one answers so she just says call me ASAP. Then she dial again and wants to talk with John. Then she says 'I don't give a damn I want to talk with him now'. Then: Honey, would you believe this crazy rule here at Ft Puritan , they won't let me and Jane come on post to the PX....love you bye.

Few min go by, very few. Car comes sliding in to the parking lot and Col gets out and runs to the MP office. She and daughter are standing outside. COL is shaking like a dog trying to pass a peach seed. he salutes her, now the PM comes sliding in and he spins telling eh PM the no shorts policy above the knee is NOT what I meant, PM is going 'Sir, but, but you said'.

Col now asks woman if there is ANYTHING he can do...she smiles and says no thanks, we want to get our pass to go to the PX. He says don't worry about your pass, I will an MP car escort you around the Base.

I get my pass and as I was walking to the car the I spot the PM and say hey who was that woman SIr? He says the woman who probably ended our careers...her husband is Air Force Chief of Staff. Mom and daughter were in Ft Worth to visit TCU Univ.

They were dressed fine, nothing wrong with their shorts, mom's were barely above the knee and daughter a bit shorter, but nothing you would even notice.


Wish there was a DoD policy that could not be altered by some Col/PM at their whim...

I think some of you are missing the point...WTH do you mean I cannot bring my gun, I am a soldier (in my case INFANTRY). I am a war fighter and had some folks had their guns, we might had a lot less dead and wounded at Ft Hood Texas or the Naval base DC.

ANYONE here taken note that most mass murders in the US take place in a GUN FREE ZONE?

Then of course there are the military installations that have PUBLIC facilities located on them and public roads.

I have been on posts where a main highway went thru the post, do you think there was a MP gate there???? NO or installations were there were hotels and other other public facilities...military could not get on post unless they had an ID card AND a windshield sticker, but a civvy just drove on with no issue.

I personally am offended that my govt no longer trusts me, a combat soldier, who has been trusted with the lives of soldiers across the world on and off the battlefield. Even as the Officer of the Day I carried a gun, with mag inserted, as a pay officer I carried a gun and so did the enlisted that went with me to pick up cash pay at the Fin Office in countries across the world, we all had guns.

I am insulted and you should be too...

I love fiction! :laugh:

Frank A. wrote: I love fiction! :laugh:

Fiction, NOT!

Wives have a LOT of influence.

You MAY remember the days when the clubs served beer at lunch. It all came to a SCREECHING halt across the DoA and the rest of the services on one rainy day at the Ft Hood Officers Club annex across from III Corp HQ.

It was Pizza day, I was working out of the '3' shop and some of us took a late lunch. Rain and helicopter pilots from the 9th ACCB did not get along, so they headed to the Annex for beer and pizza. By the time we got there it was them only, we sat down and ordered our pizza's.

They were a happy group as beer soaked pilots are apt to be. Some women also came in and unkown to the pilots it was the wife of the CoS US Army, she was there to visit with the wives of the Sr Co's wives at Ft Hood. When the noise and language finally got the best of the women and you guessed it, she walked over and asked them to tone it down in no uncertain terms. Pilots displayed their displeasure and it got ugly quickly.

I remember well, she pulled rank, then the III Corp Co's wife joined in. With luck there was not a pitcher of beer on our table and left, leaving enough money to cover out bill as we did not want it to rain on our parade...


By 1700 hrs that day we received a twixt at III Corp there will be no alcohol sales to anyone prior to 1700 hrs on any Army post CONUS/OCONUS to include Class VI sales.

It was later amended to allow PX/Class VI sales to those in civilian clothes prior to 1700.

Frank, same here but at Ft Bragg. I guess after all the PT and initial whatever the grunts do some went to the PX and I guess some col/gens wife had to wait in line to cash out. Anyhow a few days later it came out that in order to be in the px before 1200 you had to have a note from your 'leader' authorizing you to be there! I was stationed on Simmons airfield and the Bn hq was in the div area. about 2-3 miles away. anyhow I needed to get gas for my car and stopped at the px gas station. While there 2 mp's came up and asked to see my permission slip to be at the gas station! I told them I didn't have one and the alternative would be to park along the road and walk to get fuel or something if I didn't stop. Makes no sense how some of the BS rulings come down.

I have also seen wives wear the husbands rank and try to get ahead of everyone else. 'I am mrs col so and so' and I need to get to wherever! The best answer was sorry mam, mil in uniform go first (if I remember right this was in the line at the dispensery where rx were filled?). I have also seen retirees try the same thing some havent seen a uniform in 40 years or so!