Travel to Military Bases

[ForesterMike]

I job sometimes takes me to military bases, with no firearms allowed. I don't want to leave it in a hotel room while I work. Any ideas?

 

[tcfiero]

Check with some of the local gun shops and see if they offer to hold them for you while doing your business on base. Also, check with forum members in the area and see if any of them would be willing to help out. Come to Jax and I will help.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Treo]

I just use a lock box and chain it to something that won't move in the hotel room

 

[Totidem Verbis]

Consider a PAC Safe. I use it with an upgraded lock and anchor it somewhere in the trunk.

 

[Itstjs]

Almost all military bases are guarded by normal everyday citizens, often times former military working with Security Guard companies, they do random searches of vehicles, not persons, I ran into this issue before, I was doing some training at Camp Shelby Mississippi, I had been carrying every day for 2 months down there, finally got my turn as the random car searched, he hit the vehicle and found my spare magazine, he told me I could not bring it onto the base, however he offered a lock box with a key in the guard shack. I told him I would just take it somewhere off base, I pulled into a gas station just a few miles back from the base and slipped my weapon an mag under the spare tire area. I went back to the base and they "flipped" my car again and never checked that area. Most times they ignore the spare tire, so if you have a small compartment under your seats or spare tire, Id lock it in those areas IF you choose to ignore their rule, if anything theyll just deny you entry.

 

[whodat2710]

Gotta be careful. If something were to happen to raise the threat level, you, (if non-military) might not be aware of it. If you chose to try to be sneaky and got caught in one of those situations the penalty might not be worth it. I would recommend just going right to the security shack and telling them, and asking what their policy is. If they offer a lockbox like Itstjs mentioned, that would be a good option. You would be unarmed only for the duration of your visit, legal, and also legally rearmed immediately on departure without having to dig your weapon out of a trunk.

 

[Treo]

Consider a PAC Safe. I use it with an upgraded lock and anchor it somewhere in the trunk.

. I went back to the base and they "flipped" my car again and never checked that area. Most times they ignore the spare tire, so if you have a small compartment under your seats or spare tire, Id lock it in those areas IF you choose to ignore their rule, if anything theyll just deny you entry.

Two incredibly bad pieces of advice


From AR (Army Regulation) 190-11 (pg 22 para 4/5

4–5. Privately–owned weapons and ammunition
a. Commanders will establish procedures and publicize punitive policies that regulate privately–owned weapons,
explosives, or ammunition on the installation. Such policies will provide for—
(1) Registration of firearms belonging to personnel living on the installation.
(2) Procedures for the carrying and use of weapons by hunters and marksmanship shooters using installation firing
ranges.
(3) Identification of prohibited weapons, such as crossbows, numchucks, swords, throwing stars.
b. The carrying of privately–owned weapons, explosives, or ammunition on military installations are prohibited[/B]unless authorized by the installation commander or his designated representative.(1) Signs will be posted at installation access control points depicting this prohibition.
(2) This prohibition does not apply to the lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent, or employee of
the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the
prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of law or security duties.
c. Commanders will ensure privately–owned arms and ammunition (including authorized war trophies) are protected
on their installations and facilities. Commanders will—
(1) Secure arms and ammunition belonging to Soldiers living on the installation in the installation armory or unit
arms rooms in approved locked containers separate from the military AA&E. Storage requirements in this regulation
apply.
(2) Installation commanders may authorize storage of these items in other locations on military installations,
provided they are properly secured.

Can and will get you PNG'd or you may be cited

 

[whodat2710]

Treo,

Most bases have similar regulations, but they seem to be specific to people that are in the service. Dependents, contractors, authorized civilians etc. don't fall under those regs or the UCMJ. All they usually see is the sign that says something to the effect of "entering this base implies consent to search. If they don't have a "no firearms" sign or something to that effect, or if the gate guards don't specifically ask, those people might not know. They still can't carry, but an "oh my, I didn't know" would probably work the first time.

 

[Treo]

Most bases have similar regulations,

That’s actually the minimum Army wide standard , individual base commanders can be stricter but not less strict.

an "oh my, I didn't know" would probably work the first time.

That’s a pretty high stakes bet. I can’t find a specific statute that lists a penalty but my research indicates that at the minimum you risk losing the gun. In the OP’s case I’m fairly certain news would get back to his employer as well. I'm also fairly certain that wouldn't end well either

I don’t travel much on business but when I do I take a lock box with me to the hotel and chain the box to the metal closet shelf in the room and request that the room not be made up while I’m in it. If a hotel employee saw the locked container in the room I doubt they’d think it was out of the ordinary.If they did and they asked I’d tell them (truthfully) that my wife had her mother’s wedding ring stolen from a hotel room on our honeymoon and since then I’ve made it a practice to lock up my valuables

 

[BigSlick]

Some hotels have safes in the room and others have safety deposit boxes behind the front desk. One hotel I frequent in the Detroit area lets me stow my handgun there when I drive across the border to Canada.

 

[Mcz0804a]

Military installations are federal property. As such you are not permitted to carry a loaded firearm (concealed or open). Each service has it's own rules beyond that. Air Force you must transport your UNLOADED firearm directly to the Security Forces armory for storage unless you live on base. As far as the penalty for violating this... At Minot AFB you (as a civilian and not subject to the UCMJ) will be detained, interviewed and turned over to the Sheriffs Office for processing. And I'm not just spouting some BS. I'm an USAF cop.

 

[whodat2710]

That’s actually the minimum Army wide standard , individual base commanders can be stricter but not less strict.

Yes, but what about Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or Marines? All I'm saying is that the base regulations apply to all on the base, but they don't make your wife read them before she goes to the Commissary. Contractors probably brief their people, but not necessarily. There are few Coast Guard bases, so we frequent other services bases for shopping, medical etc. All the rules are similar, but not exactly the same.
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Also, as he mentioned, many bases have rent-a-cops at the gates now. I don't know how familiar you are with some of these security ninja's, but they are definitely not the same as dealing with the military.

 

[Mcz0804a]

From what I understand the Air Force is getting rid of rent-a-cops. I know Minot AFB has gone all military... And if one of my subordinates act like the gate guards from the stories above I'll ensure they aren't in my Air Force for long. As far as other bases word has it they are slowly following suit or going to Dept of the Air Force (DAF) cops. I've never worked with DAF so I won't comment if their any better than rent-a-cops or not.

 

[Treo]

Most installations are going back to military gate guards as the tempo of operations decreases in Afghanistan

 

[whodat2710]

Most installations are going back to military gate guards as the tempo of operations decreases in Afghanistan

That's a generalization. How many Navy guys you see there in the sand box? They might have ships deployed in the vicinity, but they are ships that would be deployed somewhere anyway. They have no big influx of people rotating back that need a job. Most Coast Guard over there are reserves who will come back and go home to their regular jobs. Air Force I'm not sure of, but I'm betting they are at bases close to but not actually in the country.

 

[mojoman]

Why chance it just buy a lock gun box and lock it with a cable or chain lock it to something in the hotel.