Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed a memo directing installation commanders to let uniformed service members request permission to carry and store personally owned firearms on U.S. military installations, with a built-in presumption that those requests will be approved. If a commander says no, the denial has to be put in writing. The goal is to expand off-duty options for self-protection while personnel are on base.
Hegseth rolled out the policy in a short video on X, declaring that “Our military installations have been turned into gun-free zones, leaving our service members vulnerable and exposed. That ends today,” as reported by KTVU. He cast the memo as a way to restore Second Amendment rights for those in uniform and urged commanders to lean toward approving personal-carry requests.
What the memo does
The memorandum, described by KWTX and titled “Non-Official Personal Protection Arming on Department of War Property,” tells permitting officials to apply “a presumption of approval” when they review requests from service members who want to carry privately owned firearms for personal protection. Hegseth cites Section 526 of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act as the legal basis for creating a process that lets commanders authorize such carry; the law’s text is posted on Congress.gov.
Why Hegseth says it’s needed
Hegseth points to a series of on-base attacks in recent years to justify the change, including the December 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting, covered by the AP, and the August 6, 2025 Fort Stewart shooting that wounded five soldiers, reported by Military Times. Local coverage of a March incident at Holloman Air Force Base was also cited by KTVU. In Hegseth’s telling, these cases highlight how unarmed troops on supposedly secure installations can still end up in the line of fire.
How it will be implemented
The memo instructs the undersecretary for intelligence and security to update the DoD manual that governs physical security, to spell out how permitting officials should review applications. It also directs the Pentagon Force Protection Agency to use the same presumption of approval for Pentagon personnel, while still barring personal-carry inside the building, KWTX reports. The policy is meant to sit alongside existing Defense Department rules on arming and use of force; DoD Directive 5210.56 already lays out when DoD personnel may carry firearms and how force is regulated.
What service members need to know
For troops on the ground, this is not a blanket license to carry. Service members who want permission will still have to meet any licensing or training requirements that apply in the state where their installation sits, and commanders keep final say over each individual request. The services have previously carved out narrow exceptions, such as allowing some Marines and certain law-enforcement personnel to carry privately owned firearms while off duty under DoD guidance, a shift reported after the 2019 base attacks by Military.com.
What to watch next
Day-to-day implementation is expected to look different from base to base. Commanders are anticipated to publish local instructions, and the undersecretary’s update to DoD Manual 5200.08 is expected to detail storage, training and liability rules. From there, watch for follow-up guidance from each service branch and for questions from lawmakers, military families and surrounding base communities about how the new process will balance deterrence, readiness and safety.
