Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed a directive on Thursday reversing decades of Pentagon policy, ordering all military installation commanders to allow off-duty service members to carry privately owned firearms on base. The move effectively ends what Hegseth described as a de facto “gun-free zone” policy that had governed U.S. military installations for years.

The memorandum instructs installation commanders to treat requests from service members to carry privately owned firearms with a presumption of approval. Any commander who denies a request must provide a written explanation, according to the Pentagon.

Under the prior framework, codified in DoD Directive 5210.56 (last updated in 2020), arming authority was restricted to personnel performing security, law enforcement, or counterintelligence duties.

“The War Department’s uniformed service members are trained at the highest and unwavering standards,” Hegseth announced in a video posted to social media. “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.”

“Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said in a video posted to social media. “Unless you’re training or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry, you couldn’t bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post.”

Hegseth framed the directive as a constitutional matter. “The War Department’s uniformed service members are trained at the highest and unwavering standards,” he said. “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 military installations have been turned into gun-free zones—leaving our service members vulnerable and exposed.

That ends today. pic.twitter.com/IQ204YepZ0

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) April 2, 2026

The directive applies to service members and other Department of Defense personnel. Prior policy, codified in DoD Directive 5210.56, restricted personal firearms on installations to security, law enforcement, and counterintelligence personnel, leaving most off-duty troops without authorization to carry for personal protection.

Hegseth cited a series of recent shootings on military installations as justification for the change. In August 2025, Sgt. Quornelius Radford opened fire on five fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart, Georgia, injuring all five before being subdued and arrested by other troops on base. 

In March 2026, a civilian and military veteran identified as Ashanti Stewart shot an active-duty service member at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, before fatally shooting herself. 

The policy shift also follows the December 2019 terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in which a Saudi national killed three sailors and wounded eight others before being shot dead by responding officers. That shooting prompted repeated questions about why armed military personnel on base were unable to respond to the threat.

Questions about enforcement and practical implementation remain. Installation commanders retain authority to deny requests on a case-by-case basis, though the written-justification requirement places the burden on commanders to explain any denial rather than on service members to justify their request.