Pentagon starts developing security plans after Pensacola shooting

Pentagon officials on Friday announced increased security measures aimed at foreign military students training in the U.S., in the wake of a deadly shooting last month at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida.

Foreign students will face restrictions on possessing and using firearms while undergoing military training in the U.S. Also, additional control measures will be put in place to limit their access to military installations and U.S. government facilities.

“Getting back to work does not mean getting back to business as usual,” said Garry Reid, a Pentagon official with the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.

Attorney General William P. Barr said this week that Ahmed al-Shamrani, a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force, was motivated by “jihadist ideology” when he shot and killed three U.S. Navy personnel at the base.

Military officials said they will establish new standards for training service members about detecting and reporting insider threats.

In the past, the State Department and the student’s home country were responsible for vetting military students attending training in the U.S. Now, the Pentagon will establish new vetting procedures that could include continuous monitoring of the students while in the country, officials said.

“All current and future students will be required to acknowledge their willingness to abide by these standards, committing to full compliance with all U.S. laws on- and off- duty as a condition of their enrollment,” Mr. Reid said.

The military has suspended non-classroom training for the foreign students at Pensacola but will likely change, officials said.

“When these procedures are in place, the military… will be authorized to fully resume the training that has been suspended since in the attack in Pensacola,” Mr. Reid said.