COLUMBUS – In the wake of a deadly shooting rampage that left four marines and a sailor dead in Chattanooga, Gov. John Kasich is following the lead of his counterparts in other states and has authorized personnel at Ohio National Guard recruitment centers to carry weapons.
The guard says Major General Mark Bartman, the Adjutant General of Ohio, granted the authorization as part of an update of policies and training requirements for the recruiting centers and a review of all security measures.
“The governor has made it very clear that we must take action to protect our members who are actively engaged in public recruitment efforts. We are updating our policies and strengthening small firearm training so that those men and women staffing our recruitment offices may protect themselves in the event of a threat,” Bartman said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier this week, Bartman says the guard temporarily closed four of its storefront recruitment offices in Columbus, Dayton, Painesville and Findlay and moved the staff to nearby armories.