This week in Keene, New Hampshire, a dozen armed volunteers are standing guard outside the military recruiting center. This follows the deadly attack on military offices last week in Chattanooga.

Chris Reitmann of nearby Alstead, New Hampshire, organized the informal patrol.

“I kind of tossed it out there as an idea, decided to see if I could get some people interested in helping,” Reitmann says.

Reitmann, a Marine veteran, says he’s armed with an AR-15 and a Glock 9 millimeter. He says apart from a few scowls, the public has been supportive.

“Every law enforcement officer that’s driven by has given us a thumbs up, waved, honked there horn, yelled out their window, ‘Thank you,’ or something like that,” he says.

Retiman says some volunteers are taking vacation to defend the center.

Marine recruiters in Keene and Portsmouth declined to comment on the volunteers, but according to Reitmann, “A Marine just brought me an ice-cold water. That was kind of him.”