According to former congressman and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West, the U.S. Navy has decided to bring charges against the naval officer who fired his personal weapon at Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez during the ISIS supporter's July 16 attack on the Chattanooga U.S. Naval and Marine Reserve Center.

Abdulazeez, armed with a handgun and an assault rifle, killed four Marines and one sailor.

In the posting on his website Saturday, West wrote:

"Ladies and gents, resulting from the text message I received yesterday, I can confirm that the United States Navy is bringing charges against Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White for illegally discharging a firearm on federal property.

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"The text message asked if it would be possible for Lt. Cmdr. White to reach out to me. To wit I replied, 'Affirmative.'"

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Following the attack, several military officials with knowledge of the internal investigation on the shooting reported White – the commanding officer for the Navy Operational Support Center – likely fired his personal weapon at Abdulazeez. Reports said one of the murdered Marines, armed with his own personal 9mm Glock, possibly engaged the shooter as well.

Killed were Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson Holmquist and Lance Cpl. Squire Wells, as well as Navy petty officer second class Randall Smith.

Department of Defense regulations prohibit most service members from being armed on U.S. soil, including most personnel at reserves and recruiting centers like the ones in Chattanooga. Only law enforcement or service members who are acting as military police are allowed to carry weapons on such properties.

This infallible argument for armed self-defense presents real stories of Americans fighting back – and surviving because they were armed. "America Fights Back: Armed Self-Defense In A Violent Age" is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered if concealed carry can actually save and protect.

The attacker was a naturalized American citizen, but was born in Kuwait to Jordanian parents and had traveled to Jordan for a seven-month stay last year.

Abdulazeez opened fire on the first facility, a recruiting office, from his rented, silver Mustang convertible and never got out. No one was hit. He then went to a joint Marine-Navy facility about seven miles away.

Officer White confirmed Thursday to the Knoxville Free Press that he had used his personal weapon to try to fend off Abdulazeez.

White, who has served in the Navy for 13 years, moved to Chattanooga in April with his wife and six kids — and a seventh on the way. His wife, Franicia White, said she supports her husband's actions that day.

"He values human life enough to protect his sailors and others," she said. "I am honored to be his wife and stand by him 100 percent."

Whether or not the shots fired by White or the unnamed Marine struck Abdulazeez has not been reported.

"What kind of freaking idiots are in charge of our Armed Forces — pardon me, our 'unArmed Forces'?" said West in his posting.

"What would they prefer -- that Abdulazeez had been able to kill all the Marines and sailors at the Naval Support Reserve Center?

"Let me draw an interesting contrast: Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus is more concerned about lifting the ban on transgendered sailors. Mabus has a problem in that for the first time since 2007 the U.S. Navy will not have a carrier battle group operating in the Persian Gulf. But this knucklehead has no problem with the Navy seeking to destroy the career of a sailor, a commander of an installation, returning fire against an Islamic jihadist attack.

"I do not care if it was his personal weapon, he deserves a medal for facing the enemy."

What do YOU think? Sound off on the report the Navy will prosecute Chattanooga hero.

WND revealed two days ago a new report saying the U.S. military is authorizing service members who are at remote locations – such as a recruitment center – to be armed, even if they're not in law enforcement.

According to a report at The Hill, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has signed a new memo specifying that qualified troops can be armed, on orders from their commanders, at locations such as the off-base reserve center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Carter had cited the Chattanooga shooting as evidence of the "continuing threat to DOD personnel."

"This incident and the ongoing threat underscore the need for DOD to review its force protection and security policies, programs and procedures, particularly for off-installation DOD facilities."

The change in policy notwithstanding, Cmdr. White will not be spared, according to West's sources.

"Can you imagine the message this sends to ISIS and all the enemies of America? West asked. "We are going to end his career and court-martial a man who drew his sidearm to protect his command, and the assigned sailors and Marines.

"Are they just supposed to sit and be butchered, gunned down, until local law enforcement come along? Let's be very clear here, I can attest that there are many reserve and National Guard troops who are carrying concealed during their drill periods ... why? Because they are lions, not sheep, like the imbeciles who are making the decision to punish Lt. Cmdr. White.

"Here's what needs to happen. Flood the phone of SecNav Ray Mabus and SecDef Carter and ask them whose side they're on. Demand the charges being brought against Lt.Cmdr White be immediately dropped. If those charges are not dropped, I will personally lead the charge to have Carter and Mabus removed from their positions."

On Wednesday, a petition was filed at the White House website asking President Obama to "honor our brave men ... who saved lives by returning fire."

"But for the gallant actions under enemy fire of LCDR Tim White and his men, many more lives would have been lost that day," the petition reads.

We petition the President to honor our brave men by presenting medals for bravery to LCDR White and all of the service members, including the fallen, who saved lives by returning fire.

"What he did there was a very brave thing," Michael Seewald, a friend of White's who signed the petition, told the Knoxville Free Press. "It would be so easy for somebody to just try to get away and escape, but he tried to defend the people there. I'm not sure that was in the protocol for what they were supposed to be doing, but I think he felt he had a responsibility to protect his people."

The White House petition must reach at least 100,000 signatures by Aug. 28 in order to get a response from the administration.