After the recent shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, many people have expressed worry about the safety of military personnel while on military bases, and they should. If the military is truly concerned about safety, then they need to diagnose mental illnesses faster and give military personnel, who do not have a mental illness, the option to carry weapons on base.

According to current press reports, the shooter was 34-year old Ivan Lopez. He served four months in Afghanistan in 2011, and he was under diagnosis for post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

An important thing to remember is that this is the second shooting that has occurred at Fort Hood. The most disturbing part is that both shooters were in the military and both were mentally ill. If other military personnel were able to carry weapons on base, the number of deaths might have been reduced. It’s not right that we expect our soldiers to protect us while they’re overseas, but we won’t allow them to protect themselves when they’re on a base back in America. It doesn’t make sense to not allow military personnel, who don’t have a mental illness, to carry weapons. People might think twice if they knew that there are soldiers on base, who have the ability to carry weapons.

However, allowing weapons is only the first step in preventing more shootings like those at Fort Hood. If the United States wants to prevent these attacks from occurring, we must diagnose mental illnesses faster. Take Lopez for example. Lopez was treated for mental issues and wanted leave. Reports speculate that when he was refused this request, he snapped and began shooting. This was different than the case of the first Fort Hood shooter who was thought to have committed the crimes as a terrorist. Lopez wasn’t born hating America, he was an American himself. In fact, Lopez served this country. If that doesn’t scream patriotism I don’t know what does. The point is something bad had to happen to him in order for him to do this. If Lopez would have received help quicker then the shooting might have been avoided.

Speaking of mental health, a lot of soldiers that come back from war have PTSD. It would benefit the safety of the bases and overall success of the military if they improved how quickly they diagnose and treat soldiers with PTSD and other forms of mental illness. If the military fails to diagnose and treat soldiers with mental illnesses, then those soldiers will just be a safety hazard to themselves and to innocent people.

Safety on military bases across America will rely heavily upon two factors. The military must first diagnose the soldiers that have a mental illness caused by war and then get the treatment those individuals need. Secondly, the military needs to allow those who do not have a mental illness the option to carry a weapon while on the base. In fact, it would be more effective if the military carries out both of these actions. If they don’t, safety will never improve.