Chattanooga Shooting Worries Military Families, But Bases Don't Plan On Increasing Security

By Denise Wong

FAIRFIELD (CBS13) — They're fearful enough when their loved ones are serving overseas, but local military families say incidents like a deadly shooting in Tennessee take away the comfort of knowing they're home.

Ethel Akosile isn't just a parent, she's a mother to a U.S. airman stationed at Travis Air Force Base.

"As a parent, my heart just goes out for them," she said. "My heart truly goes out for them."

She's referring to a deadly shooting at a Chattanooga military recruiting station that claimed the lives of four Marines, prompting a domestic terrorism investigation.

The shooting makes her worry about her son's safety at home.

"They survive a lot out of this country so in this country they should be able to be more safe and move around safely," she said. "But they're more at risk seems to me in this country than they are out of this country."

May Arciaga, who grew up in a military family, says she's not just concerned about the safety of servicemen and servicewomen when the shootings happen so brazenly at recruitment centers. It puts others at risk.

I mean they can just come in and shoot up a mall, because the armed forces is just right in there. they can come here too," she said.

The shootings are prompting some to be more vigilant.

Workers next to a Marine recruitment center in Natomas say they'd never expect anything could happen, but believe anything's possible after Thursday, anything's possible.

"I'm gonna probably just look around a little more and be a little more aware of the surroundings," said Scott Papapietro.

Centers do have security measures in place, requiring anyone coming in to ring a doorbell first and be seen by security cameras before being let in.

A Travis Air Force Base spokesperson says they are being vigilant, but aren't increasing security after Thursday's shooting in Tennessee.