Pete Hegseth Allows Service Members to Carry Personal Firearms on Bases

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on April 2, 2026, authorizing off-duty uniformed service members to carry and store privately owned firearms on U.S. military installations for personal protection. The directive reverses Department of Defense Directive 5210.56, a restrictive policy enacted in February 1992 under President George H.W. Bush that effectively rendered bases gun-free zones.

Under the new guidelines, installation commanders must apply a "presumption of approval" to requests for personal carry. Any denial of a request must be provided in writing with a detailed explanation. Hegseth justified the shift by citing the Second Amendment and the need for trained personnel to respond to domestic threats, referencing past shootings at Fort Stewart, Holloman Air Force Base, and Naval Air Station Pensacola. He stated that in emergency situations, "minutes are a lifetime."

The policy excludes civilian employees and contractors and prohibits carrying firearms inside the Pentagon building and military police buildings. However, personnel may store weapons in vehicles on the Pentagon Reservation. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency is responsible for implementing the approval process for personnel at the Pentagon.

Tanya Schardt of the Brady gun violence prevention organization criticized the move, arguing it could increase gun suicides and violence among active-duty troops. This concern is supported by a Pentagon report indicating that most active-duty service members who die by suicide use personally owned firearms. Conversely, some veterans and supporters argue the change is necessary for self-defense against internal and external threats.