Striking Terror with Tim White

In your worst nightmares, you’ll likely never have to defend your office against an armed terrorist. Tim White, however, had to do exactly that on July 16th, 2015.

It was the last full day of Ramadan when terrorist Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez rammed his vehicle through the gate of Chattanooga’s Navy Operational Support Center and approached the headquarters building with an AK74 semi-automatic rifle. Inside, the Center’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Tim White rose from his desk, reached into a drawer for his personal sidearm, and fired on Abdulazeez from the window. The first to engage the terrorist, White’s gunfire alerted those inside the Center to the impending danger, giving most the opportunity to escape unharmed.

White was a hero to many, but his Navy career from that point forward was anything but guaranteed. Navy regulations prohibited personal firearms on installations; but White, recognizing an imminent threat to his team that the chain of command failed to address, reached outside the rule book to display bold leadership that saved lives.