Lindsey Graham Wants to ‘Mobilize’ Retired Military to Help Secure Schools

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is recommending retired and former military service members be “mobilized” and used as security for schools in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas elementary school shooting.

“It is time to mobilize our retired and former service members who are willing to help secure our schools,” the Republican senator tweeted on Friday, arguing that schools are “soft targets” in need of such security.

“They contain our most valuable possession — our children, the future of our country — and must be protected,” he wrote.

It is time to mobilize our retired and former service members who are willing to help secure our schools.

Our schools are soft targets.

They contain our most valuable possession — our children, the future of our country — and must be protected. https://t.co/OBoCjPyH4D

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 3, 2022

In earlier tweets, Graham added detail to his plan, saying he will be working on a “certification process” to train former military members to go through “school security training.” Those trained service members would then be available to school districts across the U.S., according to the senator.

Graham said those with firearm training should also act as armed security for schools.

I will be working to create a certification process that allows former military members to go through school security training and become available to school districts throughout the country.

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— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 3, 2022

Schools should be treated like “courthouses, banks, capital buildings, etc,” the Republican added.

Schools should be treated like courthouses, banks, capital buildings, etc when it comes to security.

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— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 3, 2022

Graham’s proposal appears to be another alternative suggestion to further gun control laws, something President Joe Biden and others have called for in the wake of the shooting, but many Republicans have pushed back against. Graham did say shortly after the shooting last month though that he is “open” to a debate about “any and all measures” that will have an effect on preventing future mass shootings.

Hopefully over time we will have a better understanding of what led to these senseless acts.

As to what to do next, I welcome a debate in the U.S. Senate about any and all measures that my colleagues believe will have an effect.

Let’s debate and vote.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 25, 2022

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