Our military members are in the profession of arms. Yet, for many years, they have been forcibly disarmed while in duty, in their own military bases, reducing them to moving targets. This idiotic policy has resulted in a number of mass-shooting events on military bases, where service members were shot with no means of self-defense, despite being trained and qualified in the use of arms.
Not anymore. On Thursday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth changed that with the stroke of a pen.
Our military installations have been turned into gun-free zones—leaving our service members vulnerable and exposed.
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) April 2, 2026
That ends today. pic.twitter.com/IQ204YepZ0
SecWar Hegseth says - it's worth repeating in full:
Our great republic was founded on a simple yet bold idea. Our rights as citizens are not granted to us by government but instead by God.
Two hundred fifty years ago, the Revolutionary War was fought to secure our God-given 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.
The War Department's uniformed service members are trained at the highest and unwavering standards. These warfighters, entrusted with the safety of our nation, are no less entitled to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms than any other American. Our warfighters defend the right of others to carry — they should be able to carry themselves. Recent events like what happened at Fort Stewart, Holloman Air Force Base, or Pensacola Naval Air Station have made clear that some threats are closer to home than we would like. In these instances, minutes are a lifetime. And our service members have the courage and training to make those precious short minutes count.
Before today, it was virtually impossible — most people probably don’t know this — it is virtually impossible for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations. I mean, effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones. Unless you’re training or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry. You couldn’t bring your own firearm for your personal protection onto post.
Well, that’s no longer. The memo I’m signing today directs installation commanders to allow requests for personal protection to carry a privately owned firearm with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection. If a request is denied, then we will explain in detail the basis for that denial. Again, the presumption is service members will be able to have their Second Amendment right on post.
Not all enemies are foreign, nor are they all outside our borders. Some are domestic. Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I’m signing into action today.
This is good news indeed, and long, long overdue.
Read More: BREAKING: One Dead After Active Shooter Incident at Fort Eisenhower
Pete Hegseth Gives the Best Answer Ever to Pentagon Media That Have Balked at New Rules of Conduct
I would take it a step further. As I have been saying and writing for many years, and as the Secretary of War points out, these service members are trained in the use of arms. They are in the profession of arms. We should not only allow them to be armed on post, but we should also require it. I have long proposed that every officer and every NCO E-5 and above (I'd be willing to go to E-7 if it would make it happen) should be issued a sidearm and ammunition, and should be required to carry it, loaded, while on duty, in garrison, and in the field.
It's a dangerous world, more so for our service members. We trust them to carry arms into battle. We should trust them to carry arms while on duty. And if any service member is unable to carry a weapon while on duty, for reasons of unreliability, permanent illness, or mental issues, we don't need them. Discharge them.
Editor's Note: Thanks to President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, the warrior ethos is coming back to America's military.
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