Brownback orders security review of National Guard facilities

Gov. Sam Brownback has ordered a security review of Kansas National Guard facilities following last week’s deadly attacks on military recruiting sites in Tennessee.

Brownback has instructed Adjutant General Lee Tafanelli to identify additional security measures that might need to be taken to ensure the safety of National Guard personnel in Kansas.

“The safety of our men and women in uniform, their families and the communities in which they live and work is of paramount importance,” Brownback said in a statement. “We will implement security enhancements throughout this ongoing review and assessment as they are identified, including arming additional guardsmen, over and above those security personnel who already carry weapons.”

A gunman opened fire on a military recruiting center and a naval reserve center in Chattanooga last week, resulting in the deaths of four U.S. Marines and one U.S. Navy sailor.

The gunman, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, was killed by police. The shootings are being investigated by the FBI as a terrorist attack.

The attack has sparked a debate over “gun-free” zones at military sites. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., has introduced legislation that would eliminate such zones at sites such as recruiting centers. He called the restriction an infringement on service members’ rights and said it has caused military sites to “become increasingly vulnerable to those who wish to do harm.”

Since the attack, the governors of Florida, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas and Wisconsin have ordered National Guardsmen to arm themselves.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Brownback orders security review of National Guard facilities."