Oklahoma National Guard soldiers, airmen to carry weapons

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma National Guard soldiers and airmen could soon be carrying weapons at recruiting stations and armories across the state.

Guard spokesman Col. Max Moss said Tuesday that the Oklahoma National Guard is finalizing guidelines and identifying soldiers who would be eligible to carry firearms at its facilities.

Besides local armories and Armed Forces Reserve Centers, the Guard staffs eight storefront recruiting centers in Oklahoma like the one in Tennessee where a gunman targeted military members last week. Four Marines and a sailor were shot to death at a U.S. Navy facility in Chattanooga.

In response to those killings, Gov. Mary Fallin last week issued an executive order authorizing the state’s adjutant general to arm full-time military personnel at military installations across Oklahoma.