A year after a mass shooting that killed four Marines and one sailor at a recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the U.S. Marine Corps is taking steps to install bullet-resistant cubicle covers for all 1,500 recruiting offices across the country.
"Since the attack in Chattanooga … the review and implementation of force protection measures has been an enduring endeavor for the Marine Corps, Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the other service branches," Jim Edwards, a Marine recruiting spokesman, told
Military.com in an email.
The bullet-resistant glass sought in a call for bids published this month will provide more protection than the glass used in many banks and credit unions. Although the initial size of the procurement isn't specified, Edwards said the expected cost will be about $2 million.
This comes on the heels of several upgrades to military facilities, as
Military.com reported earlier this month.
"We're putting in place stronger physical security systems, including stronger entry controls, better alarm systems, reinforced doors, and additional ways to safely exit our facilities," Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the site.
A bill proposed in Congress last year would give commanders in the U.S. the authority to arm troops at off-site installations, including recruiting centers.
"We take very seriously any decision to place a member of the department in a position to potentially use deadly force. We have to balance that potential against the possibility of an attack on our personnel," said Army Maj. Jamie Davis, a Defense Department spokesman.
"There are so many variables," Charles P. Kosak, a deputy assistant defense secretary, told the
Military Times. "These facilities are physically different ... the staffing at those facilities is very different and potentially, for example, the remoteness of a facility as it pertains to first responders' capacity."
"You could unleash unintended consequences. You could come into situations where you're not adding value," he added.
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