Pentagon to strengthen screening process for foreign military students

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:15 PM PT — Thursday, December 12, 2019

After last week’s deadly shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, the Pentagon said it’s planning to step up the vetting process for foreign military students. On Thursday, a Defense Department spokesman said the screening process for new students will be strengthened and no new students will be accepted until it is in place.
The gunman, a Saudi aviation student, killed three sailors and injured eight others before being taken down by authorities last Friday.

“I want to discuss the recent shootings in Pearl Harbor and Pensacola. The entire Department of Defense is devastated. The number one priority is the safety and security of our people and their families. Our thoughts are with the families of those injured.”

– Jonathan Hoffman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs

In response to these incidents, the Department of Defense has also suspended training for all Saudi Arabian students in U.S. military programs.
“The classroom training is restricted to the Saudi students that are in the country at this time, not applying to students from other nationalities,” said Hoffman. “With regard to new students coming into the country at this time, we haven’t had any new students come in.”
The Pentagon said it’s currently investigating a number of Saudi students, who allegedly knew the shooter and have had their movement restricted on base.

https://www.oann.com/pentagon-to-strengthen-screening-process-for-foreign-military-students/