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Hegseth Says He Will Let Troops Take Personal Firearms Onto Military Bases

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new policy allowing troops to request permission to carry privately owned firearms on military installations, establishing a "presumption of approval" for such requests.
Hegseth cited the 2019 attack at Pensacola Naval Air Station, the 2025 shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia, and a 2026 incident at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, describing installations as previously vulnerable "gun-free zones."
Building on authority from the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the policy frames the change as restoring a "God-given right" to self-protection for uniformed service members trained to the highest standards.
Installation commanders must now explain any denied requests in writing, though the policy restricts carrying firearms inside the Pentagon building itself, permitting storage only in vehicles on the grounds.
The announcement drew enthusiasm from gun-rights advocates, though former Naval War College professor Tom Nichols questioned the focus on culture war issues, and Army combat veteran Fred Wellman argued it distracts from overseas conflicts.

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Hegseth Signs Memo Allowing Soldiers to Carry Personal Sidearms on DOW Property

Our military installations have been turned into gun-free zones—leaving our service members vulnerable and exposed. That ends today. pic.twitter.com/IQ204YepZ0 — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) April 2, 2026 Military policy on carrying personal firearms just got flipped by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who signed a memo directing military base commanders to allow personnel—“namely, uniformed service members”—to carry privately owned fir…

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