First thoughts on the Ft. Hood attack:

Military training is a balancing act between learning to kill and developing powerful self control. Preliminary reports from Ft. Hood indicate that an army officer, highly trained on a large number of weapons, staged the attack that has killed 12 people and injured another 31. Reports are that he used two handguns.

It would take a special weapon to be able to deliver that kind of volume of fire, especially in a hand gun. The shooter would have to have multiple magazines and have them prepared for quick reload. That requires advanced preparation.

As a former member of the U.S. Army, I can tell you that soldiers on post do not walk around with weapons in their hands. Their assigned weapons are kept locked in racks in a locked arms room at all times unless they are being prepared for actual exercises.

It is my opinion that this could not have been a spur of the moment action. The shooter made carefully preparation for the attack. His victims were likely unarmed. They were in an assembly location and were “sitting ducks” for the attacker.

These soldiers prepare themselves to go into combat to defend this nation. I cannot think of a greater crime than to stage an attack of this type where they have no opportunity to defend themselves. I extend my full sympathy and my prayers to the service people and their families devastated by this attack.