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Gov. Pence, standing next to Adjutant General Courtney Carr, discusses the decision to arm National Guard members during a press conference Sunday, July 19, 2015 at Stout Field.
Brandon Smith / Indiana Public BroadcastingINDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mike Pence says he wants all Hoosiers to know that, beginning Monday morning, members of the National Guard will be armed and able to defend themselves.
Sunday Pence said the attack on a military installation in Tennessee that left four Marines and a Navy sailor dead made the Indiana National Guard’s new policy necessary and appropriate. He said soldiers and airmen with handgun permits can carry their personal guns at all National Guard facilities around the state:
“Those who serve in the Indiana Army and Air National Guard and their families make great sacrifices for the people of Indiana and they deserve nothing less than our best efforts to see to their safety and security,” Pence said.
Adjutant General Courtney Carr said the National Guard will work with the State Police to provide training to servicemembers who don’t yet have permits to carry.
“Our training will include some safety training and rules on the use of force to be clear that this policy is about self-defense," he said.
Carr says he’s not concerned about the potential influx of so many weapons onto National Guard installations because, as he puts it, “safety is paramount.”
Contact Indiana Public Broadcasting statehouse reporter Brandon Smith at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow on Twitter: @brandonjsmith5.
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