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Interesting trip to fairchild afb

bennie1986

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
368
Location
Spokane, Washington, USA
Took my first trip out to the Air Force base today because ryans friend had her bday party at their recreational area. I had my pistol on me and they were awesome about letting me check it into their armory while we were there because they are not allowed on base! While we were there something was going on that had the military police going nuts and when i went to get my gun at the armory i was briefly held to confirm my identity in direct relation to their on going security situation! WTF never a dull moment for me when i have my gun! The whole time i had my pistol in my hand by the sitting with my five and two year old at their directive so i guess you could say i was open carrying lol!
 

Coyote_VS_ACME

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Messages
37
Location
Bummertown
A couple of years back I was on a 5 day job over at Hanford at one of their remediation sites (got to see their dead reactor core graveyard from ships / subs - awesome) and took my S&W 40. Not thinking ahead I figured I would just leave it in the safe at the hotel off site when I was going to the job site. The thought that never occurred to me was on the last day I would be checking out, going to the job site to wrap up, then heading back west meant all my baggage would be in the van, including my pistol. I got thru the last security check with no problem but was sweating my ass off the rest of the day till I got the sign off and got off the reservation.

Lesson learned to always think ahead on things when traveling with a sidearm.
 

dwordinger

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
80
Location
, ,
When Clinton was Commander in chief, he either signed a bill or made an executive order restricting carrying firearms on military installations. I don't remember the details, but this was sited as one of the reasons the soldiers were unable to defend themselves against the shooter on Fort Hood.

I don't know about the other services, but the Air Force has always been a bit strange about personal weapons, before Clinton and at least since I joined in 1973. Single personnel living in the barracks were expected to have their firearms stored in the armory but married personnel could keep their weapons in their quarters on base. I once asked a security cop about the crime on base and he said crime was higher in family quarters than it was in the barracks because there was always someone around the barracks but family quarters were often unoccupied during the day. It wasn't until a few months ago that the base exchange on Fairchild started selling firearms and ammo. I bought a handgun there, paid for it at the counter and then the salesman carried the firearm as he escorted me out the door to the parking lot. I was then expected to drive off the base and never have a firearm in my vehicle when I'm on base.

A loaded KC135 tanker holds more fuel than any of the jets that hit the world Trade Center, yet the pilots driving these "bombs" aren't allowed to open carry in the base exchange or commissary. Same situation for aircrews on other bases where they are entrusted with nuclear weapons, 20mm Gatling guns, laser guided bombs, .. well you get the idea.
 

golddigger14s

Activist Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2010
Messages
2,068
Location
Lawton, OK USA
All military bases are federal property, and do not allow carry. Most require registration, and only can be transported straight to the range with no stops (like range 15 on Fort Lewis). I did 21 years in the Army, and never carried a weapon with one in the chamber. Yet I go grocery shopping in Lacey locked, and loaded.
 
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KBCraig

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
4,886
Location
Granite State of Mind
I'm surprised the OP was allowed to even check his gun; all military branches hate guns, but the AF is worse than the others.

When my oldest graduated OSUT at Knox in 2005, base commanders were still allowed to set their own policies. I looked up the Knox policy, and confirmed it with the PMO/LEC/whatever-they-call-it-now. At that time, visitors who were legal to carry were allowed on post with guns, but could not take them into any buildings.

That changed DoD-wide after Fort Hood. Coincidentally, my son and his wife were in-processing a PCS to Hood, and were in that building earlier in the day.
 
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