Reacting to a series of mishaps that resulted in injury or death, the Navy has issued new formal guidelines regarding the possession of personal firearms. A key change allows sailors to store personal weapons "in certain locations onboard Navy installations under carefully controlled circumstances and with the prior written approval of the installation commanding officer," according to NAVADMIN 196/10, which addresses the issue. Storage in other locations – including personal vehicles, bachelor quarters, and work centers, is prohibited. All such weapons must be locked while stored; ammunition must also be locked, and kept in a separate location. All firearm owners must comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws as well. "It is imperative that all sailors who own weapons take their responsibilities seriously," the administrative announcement stated. The changes stemmed from a review of firearms policy, which arose in the aftermath of 28 on-base and 111 off-base incidents that took place between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008 – which resulted in 28 deaths.
