Pete Hegseth Authorizes Carrying Personal Weapons on Military Bases

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that the Pentagon will again allow members of the U.S. Armed Forces to apply for authorization to carry privately owned firearms on military bases. As Hegseth explained via his X account, a new department directive instructs base commanders to approve requests from personnel seeking to carry personal weapons on installations for personal protection.

"Our warfighters defend the rights to carry. They should be able to carry themselves. The presumption is service members will be able to have their Second Amendment right on post," explained the secretary, who also justified the decision by explaining that it is a security issue in the face of the fact that many of the dangers facing the country are found within. "Not all enemies are foreign, nor are they all outside our borders. Some are domestic. Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I’m signing into action today," said the secretary, who cited as examples of this reality the various shootings that have occurred lately at various military installations across the country.

Hegseth's decision reverses a long-standing restriction on the use of weapons on military installations. The new policy represents a major shift from previous Defense Department rules that banned this kind of privately owned military equipment on bases, with a stance based on federal regulations such as the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990.