Armed Services Chairmen Advancing Legislation to Protect Troops at U.S. Military Facilities

Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following joint statement today regarding the urgent need to protect U.S. military personnel following the murder of four U.S. Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee:

“We can and must do more to protect our troops.  Yesterday’s murder of four United States Marines is a heartbreaking reminder that our men and women in uniform can be targets here at home, as they often are abroad.  Long before the Chattanooga attack, we had been working to clarify a post commander’s authority to allow carrying of personal firearms.  This year’s National Defense Authorization Act will reflect that work.  Together, we will direct the Pentagon to end the disconnect between the threats our warfighters and their families face and the tools they have to defend themselves.”

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