FORT CARSON, Colo. – In August the Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex (CMSC) added a new firearm storage facility that allows Soldiers to store their privately owned weapons in a safe and secure setting.
This facility offers Soldiers who live in barracks an alternative to their unit’s arms room since they are not authorized to store their firearms in their room or in their privately owned vehicle.
While the unit arms room provides proper and secure storage for personally owned weapons, their hours of operation make them less than convenient for Soldiers who want to practice or shoot recreationally.
“This storage facility will be open and available for use during our normal business hours,” said Pedro Viorato, CMSC program manager. “All a user needs to do is check in with us in the office, then walk back to the facility to retrieve their weapon out of their assigned locker. Our operating hours are typically longer than unit armories and Soldiers don’t have to gain approval from their unit leadership to access this magazine facility at CMSC. The facility contains lockers of varying size to accommodate both handguns and rifles. For a small fee, users then secure them with a padlock, like any locker.”
For active-duty personnel to store a weapon the monthly fee is $8 for the first firearm and $2 for each additional weapon after that.
In a statement provided by the Army Resilience Directorate (ARD), Army leaders said, “Safely storing medications and firearms can be a lifesaving measure by mitigating sudden suicidal ideations.”
“The Personally Owned Weapons Storage Program provides an opportunity for Families to avoid purchasing an expensive gun safe, while keeping weapons out of the hands of children,” said Col. Sean M. Brown, commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson.
Maj. Gen. David M. Hodne, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, spoke about the importance of the facility at the Aug. 29 official opening.
“This is about readiness and about access to lethal means. 70% of suicides across the Department of Defense, and 71% in our Army in the last fiscal year, were tied to firearms,” he said. “There is a myth that suicide is often well thought out, planned in advance, and what we’ve realized is that it’s often an impulsive act. If weapons were immediately accessible to a Soldier who is in an emotional state when they are considering taking their lives, then we can reduce their access to lethal means and help with the challenge of suicide in our ranks.”
The CMSC is located just outside Fort Carson's Gate 20. Although entry to Fort Carson is not required to access the CMSC, to store a weapon at the facility it must be registered on Fort Carson.
Individuals can register their firearms in person at the Fort Carson Police Station or by filling the form out online. For more information, visit https://carson.armymwr.com/cheyenne-mountain-shooting-complex.
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