A string of Previously undiscreet interruptions at Tennessee National Guard Armories last fall marks the latest in a growing series of security breaks at Military facilities Across the United States, raising recent concerns about the vulnerability of US weapons to theft and intrusion.
Confidential Self of the Tennessee Fusion Center revised by Wired Details Four Brefens at Tennessee National Guard Armories for a seven-week duration. In one incident, thieves drove away with night visual glasses, laser target locators and thermal weapons, among other equipment. At others, intruders broke fences, alarmed alarms and gained access to supply rooms discovered to be unlocked.
At least some of the interruptions seem to draw attention to possible educational help. In Covington, Tennessee, for example, evidence suggests that intruders may have known in advance the location of a safe key control box. At other sites, alerts and entry points were tried.
The self, which was intended only for the use of laws, does not indicate that some weapons were stolen; However, a government anti-terrorist coordinator is quoted: “These events concern not only because of the stolen items sensitive in nature, but also because of the indicators for some necessary knowledge for successful breakdown and theft.”
The document, first obtained from the nonprofit sentinel Property of the peoplewas shared exclusively with Wired.
The interruptions remain under active inquiry and attracted the attention of the Provort’s Office of the Provostal Marshal-the main authority of the US Army. A senior police source informed Wired on Tuesday that the Federal Office of Investigation is leading the investigation. The FBI refused to confirm.
“FBI policy prohibits confirming or denying an investigation unless in rare circumstances, when advertising would help the investigation, such as seeking a missing child or try to identify bank robber,” Elizabeth Clement-Webb, FBI officer on public affairs officer, says. “The thing you ask about does not meet that exception, so not to comment.”
The Pentagon reported questions to the National Guard. The guard did not respond to a request for a comment.
Initially regarded as isolated incidents, the self cites the value of FBI and defense of defense reporting on what agents call “domestic violent extremists,” or DVES, discussing plans to attack weapons and gear, leading analysts to suspect organized action. Domestic intelligence has consistently flickered violent militia members and racially motivated extremists eye -making weapons as soft goals.
“Although Dves had previously stole some lower military tools, the FBI did not identify any occasions in which DVE has successfully attacked armament to steal heavy military equipment,” the self reads. “To avoid such an attack, FBI and DOD improve a connection with local weapons and military facilities to deal with shortcomings in reporting on current plots to exploit armory vulnerabilities and increase opportunities to detect and prevent DVE’s theft of military equipment.”
Between 2020 and 2024, the Self says, at least four FBI subjects discussed riding military facilities for heavy weapons, including .50 gauge guns and machine guns. Three confirmed military backgrounds. One – former guard – identified specific weapons he served as he described as best to exploit their security. It is unclear whether any charges were brought.
Extremist talk cited by the document will echo these ambitions. At the beginning of 2024, a militia-linked telegram user offered to assess weapons vulnerabilities with the help of sympathetic firefighters and sought military or offending recruits for internal information. In another case, an active duty commander claimed that he could swing an armistine to deliver weapons, while a former Air Force contractor spoke of attacking guard to capture mortars and secure land.
