Friday, July 24, 2009

Army Overstepping its Authority?

Sailorcurt has the skinny:

I have been informed by people (who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons) assigned to Fort Drum, that personnel are being asked if they own any firearms or other "dangerous weapons" (which includes BB guns and Paintball guns). If they answer in the affirmative, they are then handed the two page form depicted to the right and ORDERED to fill it out. They are told that it is irrelevant whether they live in private housing or on base, that all members attached to the installation must register their firearms.

The military has had strict rules on privately owned firearms since I can remember. If you lived on base, you had to register your weapons with the MPs, through your company commander.

However, requiring this for privately owned housing has never been a part of the plan. Sounds like someone is doing some "interpreting".

That's always been a pet peeve of mine - on the Navy base where I go for my food, booze and drugs, their motorcycle policy stated "over the ankle leather shoes highly encouraged". Of course, I've been turned away from the gate for not having said shoes, as though "highly encouraged" meant "required", but I digress.

At any rate, whoever is requiring this is a moron. The only thing I can think of is, these days, much of the Army family housing is off the base proper, and run by contractors. They are still subject (as far as I know) to Army policy.

But people living in their own, non-Army housing? They're not, nor should they be. Rules apply in both directions, people. Get with the program.

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2 comments:

Moogie P said...

Do NOT get my husband started!

Anonymous said...

I'm 100% with you but as a fellow motorcyclist, I must admit that I'm all for encouraging people to wear their gear (*insert rant about extremely complicated injuries that could have easily been prevented by even a $20 pair of leather gloves*). There is obviously a huge difference between encouraging and requiring and what adults do and keep in their own homes should be their business as long as it doesn't affect the Army.