Tinker residents must register personal firearms

Published May 28, 2014
By Kimberly Woodruff
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Anyone living on Tinker AFB needs to be aware that they are required to register personal firearms with Security Forces to avoid breaking the law.

"We like to remind people periodically, because they might live on base for some time, then go out and purchase a firearm and not remember to go register it," said Capt. Daniel Land, 72nd Security Forces Squadron Operations officer.

Base residents must register their weapons within 24 hours of arrival. Tech. Sgt. Daniel Strothers, 72nd SFS noncommissioned officer in charge of Pass and Registration, said registering a weapon is easy. The two forms firearm owners need to fill out are AF 1314 Firearm Registration, that needs to be signed by the person's commander, and DD 2760, Qualifications to Possess Firearms and Ammunition. Both forms need to be turned in to Pass and ID once completed. Firearms and weapons will be registered with the Base Housing Office and Pass and ID.

Under a 1993 order passed by then-President Bill Clinton, carrying a private firearm on a military base was prohibited on installations in the United States. In 2010, the order was revised and now specifically requires every private firearm brought on base be registered with military police. Carrying the weapon on base is prohibited, unless of course, it is your job and you are issued a weapon.

Dorm residents, base housing occupants and visitors staying in base lodging all need to register their firearms.

Dorm residents are not permitted to store any kind of personal weapons in their dorm room.

"The dorms are government facilities and privately-owned weapons are not permitted in government facilities," said Dallas Stroud, 72nd SFS. Firearms will be stored at the Security Forces armory, located in Bldg. 1036, Air Depot and Cotting Road.

"Weapons stored at the armory are inventoried every shift change to make sure nothing has been removed from the facility without proper authorization," said Sergeant Strothers.

Because base housing is privatized, residents are permitted to keep firearms in their home, said Captain Land. The captain added registering weapons stored in base housing is part of the initial contract with Balfour Beatty, and that it is up to the commander for approval.

When transporting a firearm from a residence or the armory to go off base to the shooting range, for example, the gun chamber should be open, not loaded, kept away from ammunition, as far away from the driver as possible (in a locking container located in a vehicle's trunk or the rear most portion of the vehicle) and out of public view. At no time should privately-owned weapons be loaded during transportation. Captain Land recommends anyone stopped by a police officer while transporting a firearm let the officer know about the firearm in the trunk.

Captain Land says registering firearms provides valuable information when patrolmen are called out to a house for a domestic disturbance, they can be alerted to the fact that person has a weapon registered. "It just helps us to keep track of all the firearms on the base for everyone's safety," he said.

As for Oklahoma's Conceal and Carry law, "Don't do it," said Captain Land. The state law does not apply to federal facilities.

For questions regarding the registration of a personal firearm at Tinker, call the Pass and ID office at 734-5191.