The US Navy and Marine Corps will be banning foreign troops from purchasing and carrying personal weapons, a measure concocted after a Saudi officer shot up a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida.
The move will restrict the purchase of personal weapons for foreign assets, as well as the transporting, carrying or use of said weapons.
According to Military.com, all international students and assets will be restricted, regardless of their country of origin.
Those currently training in the US (and their families) will have to sign agreements on the new rules or risk getting deported from the country. Individuals by training with the Navy must comply by April 15 and those with Marines must do so by May 1.
“Failure to do so will result in immediate expulsion from training or school, and orders generated for immediate transfer back to their home country, to include accompanying family members,” the Marine Corps’ message states.
Firearms already in possession by personnel will likely have to be surrendered.
“Foreign service members and their families will have no access to personally owned weapons or ammunition “until after returning to their home country,” according to the Navy’s policy.
The move is a response to the December 2019 incident that took place in Pensacola, Florida, when a Saudi military officer used a legally-obtained handgun to engage fellow students in a training facility.
The Saudi officer training in Floria purchased a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine through a hunting-license loophole.
The exception allows non-immigrant visa holders who otherwise are not permitted to buy firearms or ammunition to purchase them if they have a valid state-issued hunting license permit or other required documentation, David Bowdich, deputy director of the FBI, said last month.
© 2020 Bright Mountain Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of Bright Mountain Media, Inc. which may be contacted at info@brightmountainmedia.com, ticker BMTM.