Army Secretary Lifts Ban on Personal Firearms for Military Personnel

On Thursday, Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth announced a significant change: the ban on military personnel carrying their own firearms on bases has been lifted.

Previously, service members weren’t allowed to openly carry personal weapons while on base. The new policy mandates that base commanders must authorize requests from service members wishing to carry personal firearms for self-defense.

“Our armed forces are held to the highest training standards,” Hegseth stated. “These dedicated individuals, responsible for our nation’s security, should have the right to keep and carry arms like any other American. They defend the rights of others; they ought to be able to protect themselves.” He emphasized the reality of threats that service members may face, even on familiar ground.

Recent incidents, such as those at Fort Stewart and Naval Air Station Pensacola, underscore the dangers present even in supposedly secure environments. Hegseth pointed out that these occurrences show how close threats can get to home. He remarked that in critical moments, having the ability to respond can make all the difference.

The previous policy was heavily restrictive, making it exceedingly difficult for military personnel to get permission to carry personal weapons. The Department of Defense had referred to the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 when banning privately owned firearms on military property.

Violence at military installations has drawn attention to the risks that troops encounter even in domestic settings. For example, in August 2025, an Army sergeant shot five fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart with his personal firearm before being subdued. Additionally, at Holloman Air Force Base earlier this year, an airman was shot during a domestic incident that resulted in a fatality. And back in 2019, a terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola highlighted the vulnerabilities of service members on U.S. soil.