Army bases have tight regulations on firearms
Rules on carrying weapons vary among U.S. military installations, but in general they are carefully regulated, military officials said Thursday.
Soldiers typically carry weapons on bases only for specific purposes such as a training exercise, said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, an Army spokesman based at the Pentagon. "You would not see someone walking around with a military weapon at the PX," he said. In many cases, guns are stored in weapons rooms, and must be signed out and signed back in. Base personnel must also abide by state and county gun laws where they are located, he said.
Still, in some cases, those living in houses on the base could be allowed to keep their weapon in the home, he said. Those housed in barracks would normally keep firearms in a weapons room.
A soldier seen on base carrying a weapon in an unusual area would most likely be questioned by base authorities.
Helen Elrod, a spokeswoman at Fort Hunter Liggett in California, also said weapons are carefully regulated on that Army base, and that "everyone is watching" for any abnormalities regarding the use of weapons.
