politics
US defense secretary permits service members to request carrying personal firearms on military bases
Pete Hegseth signed a memo that appears to ease restrictions so service members can request permission to carry personal firearms on bases, with approvals tied to state laws and denials requiring detailed explanations.
Apr 3rd 2026 ยท United States
Insights
- Defense secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo allowing service members to request permission to carry personal firearms on military installations.
- The full memo is not yet public but appears to loosen prior case-by-case limits and align on-base carry with state gun laws.
- Commanders who deny carry requests must provide a detailed written explanation for the decision.
- Hegseth cited past base shootings as justification and said the presumption will favor allowing carry.
- The directive builds on a 2016 Pentagon pathway but goes further by making approvals easier and drew support from some victims' family members and gun rights advocates.
Sources
- Hegseth Allows Troops to Carry Personal Firearms at Military Bases www.nytimes.com
- Hegseth says he will allow troops to take personal weapons onto military bases www.independent.co.uk
- Pete Hegseth allows troops to carry personal firearms on military bases www.theguardian.com
- Hegseth says he will let troops take personal firearms onto military bases www.cbsnews.com
- Hegseth says he will allow troops to take their own guns onto onto military bases after spate of shootings www.independent.co.uk