Two Navy instructor pilots told Fox News the December 6, 2019, Pensacola attacker had 10 minutes without armed resistance in which to carry out his horrific work.

Fox News reports those pilots are among a group of instructors who are asking military brass to allow them to carry guns for self-defense.

One instructor pilot said, “It’s so stupid that on a military base, the shooter was allowed to roam free for so long. In a gun fight, that’s an eternity.”

Breitbart News reported that decision to allow military personnel to be armed for self-defense falls to the installation commanders, per Amendment S. 1536, which was part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. That amendment shifted power to authorize defensive carry from the Secretary of Defense to the various installation commanders.

On December 6–the day of the Pensacola attack–Breitbart News reported Naval Air Station Pensacola is a gun-free zone.

The firearms policy for the station, as issued by Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, says:

While federal and state laws differ widely on the subject, regulations pertaining to the registration, transportation, and storage of firearms on Naval Installations in the Mid-Atlantic area of responsibility are clear. According to the instruction, all hands share responsibility for adhering to regulations pertaining to the registration, transportation, and storage of firearms in the AOR.

The policy makes clear that “state issued ‘concealed weapons permits’ are not recognized on any Navy installation.” Moreover, it says that personal firearms brought on base after obtaining approval from a commanding officer “may only be stored in the installation’s armory.”

En route to the armory such firearms are to be “unloaded and secured with a trigger lock and ammunition must be carried in the farthest most possible location away from the firearm.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.