Now it looks like that thinking has been extended to a new law prohibiting convicted domestic abuse offenders from possessing guns or ammunition in the military.
The Pentagon wants the law changed to exempt the military -- more than 1.4 million people in uniform, including 35,065 active-duty personnel and reservists stationed in Hawaii.
The Sept. 30, 1996, amendment to the 1968 federal gun control law makes it illegal for anyone convicted of a misdemeanor domestic abuse offense to own, possess or ship a firearm or ammunition. After the law took effect in October, the National Guard Bureau initially told officials of Hawaii's 5,400-member Hawaii Army and Air National Guard to restrict issuing guns or ammunition to anyone they knew had been convicted of domestic abuse, said Capt. Charles Anthony, National Guard spokesman.
However, he said, the Hawaii National Guard also was told not to ask soldiers about such convictions.
"The National Guard Bureau is still waiting for full guidance from the Department of Defense," Anthony said.
So far, he said, no one in Hawaii's Army or Air National Guard has been affected.
Lt. Col. Howard Sugai, spokesman for the 2,500-member Pacific Army Reserve, said, "We only will take action if it comes to our attention, but quite frankly we have no way of tracking this."
"There's no method for tracking this unless this issue comes up and affects a reservist's performance or attendance at drill or annual training," he said.
"If we learn about such a conviction through the newspaper or other means, we will take the appropriate action. However, we don't have the means to actively pursue these things."
Lt. Col. Lloyd Holloway, Pacific Forces Command spokesman, said current Pentagon guidance instructs the military to temporarily restrict service members from handling firearms or ammunition when information concerning a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction is discovered in a service member's history.
But no system has been established to review the backgrounds of all personnel, as is being done by law enforcement agencies across the country.
New recruits and officers seeking commissions are being screened, Holloway said.
However, the Pentagon doesn't have procedures to review the records of existing soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen.
Active-duty military services here indicate that they plan to take no action until they receive more detailed direction from the Pentagon.
Holloway said the military doesn't ask a service member whether he or she has a domestic abuse conviction.
"However, if it is brought to our attention," Holloway said, "we will act on it."
Lee Ferguson, 25th Infantry Division spokeswoman, said the matter has been referred to the U.S. Justice Department for review.
"If a soldier has ever been convicted of domestic abuse in a civil court," Ferguson said, "the soldier would probably be court-martialed and released from the service."
A spokesman for the Pacific Fleet said the Navy didn't have statistics on how many sailors were reassigned because of domestic abuse convictions.