Armed Deterrence: Countering Soft Target Attacks - Open Carry Firearms Policy for ROTC Detachments for Protection From Mass Shootings, Active Shooters and Self-Radicalized Lone-Wolf Terrorist Attacks

This report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. The continued rise of self-radicalized lone-wolf terrorist attacks and mass shootings by mentally unstable individuals presents significant security challenges for military personnel serving outside of DoD facilities and at geographically separated units that offer no security. The recent attack on a recruiting center in Chattanooga, TN highlights this concern and raises the question of whether arming additional military members is a prudent force protection measure to counter this emerging threat. The overall intent of this paper is to argue that arming select military members with an "open carry" firearms policy is a prudent force protection measure for Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) detachments because it provides a visual "deterrent" against soft target attacks. Further, if perceptual deterrence should fail, an "open carry" firearms policy is most often the only viable means to stop (deny) an active shooter in order to safeguard the lives of military personnel. This paper uses a qualitative approach to argue that the benefits of arming ROTC Cadre with an open carry firearms policy outweigh the perceived risks of implementation. Presenting an in depth analysis of the postulated threat, the author synthesizes the problem by first examining current terrorist trends and active shooters events, to include their motivations. The paper then exposes the hazards affecting ROTC detachments due to their unique "soft target" nature. Four recommendations emerge from this paper, which provide several policy recommendations and considerations for full implementation. The first recommendation involves overhauling DoD Directive 5210.56 in order to address non-DoD owned or leased facilities. The second recommendation proposes that each DoD Component should draft measures to arm ROTC Cadre with an "open carry" firearms policy. The third recommendation suggests that further research is needed to determine which state(s) and local (university) laws enable or prevent implementation. Finally, the fourth recommendation advises that a Federal / DoD standardized identification card should be developed for DoD personnel that are engaged in security functions outside of DoD owned or leased facilities.

This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Armed Deterrence: Countering Soft Target Attacks * 1. Introduction * 2. Examining the Postulated Threat * 3. Lone Wolf Target Selection and the Threat to Campus ROTC * 4. Analysis of Current DoD AT and Force Protection Measures * 5. Applicable Case Studies * 6. Increased Force Protection * 7. Policies and Laws Governing Implementation * 8. Recommendations and Conclusion