Rebuttal – ‘LEO Safety Act Allows Military Police to Concealed Carry in 50 States’

North Pole, Alaska –-(Ammoland.com)- Major Harl, this is in response to your article, “Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Allows Military Police to Concealed Carry in 50 States” ( https://tiny.cc/aw8t7w ) being run on Ammoland and other locations on the web.

I am not impressed with your article, as it is a mixed bag of truth, speculation and pure BS. First, I understand YOU believe you may be the first retired USAF Security Policeman to be issued credentials to carry concealed under the revised LEOSA law…BUT…I would not recommend you attempt to pass that off outside Wisconsin.

There is NO provision in the Federal Law that authorizes any State to issue credentials for any Federal Law Enforcement agency and certainly not for any branch of the military.

I quote: “926C(d) the identification required by this subsection is;

(1) a photographic identification issued by the agency from which the individual separated from service as a law enforcement officer that identifies the person as having been employed as a police officer or law enforcement officer and indicates that the individual has, not less recently than one year before the date the individual is carrying the concealed firearm, been tested or otherwise found by the agency to meet the active duty standards for qualification in firearms training as established by the agency to carry a firearm of the same type as the concealed firearm; or

(2)(A) a photographic identification issued by the agency from which the individual separated from service as a law enforcement officer that indicates the person as having been employed as a police officer or law enforcement officer; and

(B) a certification issued by the State in which the individual resides or by a certified firearms instructor that is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active duty officers within that State that indicates that the individual has, not less than 1 year before the date the individual is carrying the concealed firearm, been tested or otherwise found by the State or a certified firearms instructor that is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active duty officers within that State to have met–
(I) the active duty standards for qualification in firearms training, as established by the State, to carry a firearm of the same type as the concealed firearm; or
(II) if the State has not established such standards, standards set by any law enforcement agency within that State to carry a firearm of the same type as the concealed firearm.

As a Retired USAF Security Policeman, the State of Wisconsin is NOT “…the governmental agency for which the individual (YOU) is employed…” and the State of Wisconsin has no authority granted under the Federal LEOSA Law or from the DOD to issue any credential to you for concealed carry, contrary to the Wisconsin Law (yes, I read it). The only thing the State is authorized to do under this law is to provide certification of weapon qualification according to the required standards.

Other comments, such as;

“One issue of the newly amended H.R. 218 is any active duty military policeman can with proof of current handgun qualification carry a concealed handgun out in the civilian world of all 50 States.”

Or;

“According to H.R. 218 any military cop from any branch of service (to include a reserve or Guard cop) can acquire their own privately owned handgun and carry it concealed off base.”

…are completely wrong, careless and reckless on your part and will only serve to get Private Bailey or Airman Snuffy in a world of hurt and probably end their military career if they follow your guidance. The photographic credential from the employing agency is also required for current military police members. The military ID card doesn’t meet the Federal Law requirement.

Your last statement in regards to “…the DoD is working the issue with intent to come up with DoD directed certification credentials for current and qualified former military cops to carry concealed under H.R. 218.” is correct and those credentials will be the ones to satisfy the Federal Law requirement…NOT some other State issued credential for a Federal Law Enforcement Agency or the military.

See the four Air Force LEOSA memos’ here; https://1.usa.gov/1gk3esh

My only hope with sending this is that you will act to correct this grievous error before yourself or any other military member, active or retired, acts on the information you provided and gets themselves in some deep kimche’.