Armed and Ready: Hegseth Restores Off-Duty Warfighters’ Right to Carry on Base
Off-duty service members can now carry a firearm on base after a historic War Department decision.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed a historic memorandum in April that allows off-duty service members to carry a personal firearm on military bases.
The decision undoes a decades-old policy first implemented under the Clinton administration and will once again allow warfighters “their God-given right to keep and bear arms,” Hegseth said in a video posted to his government X account. The policy builds on existing authority under the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act and directs officials to update regulations to formalize the approval process, according to the Pentagon.
“The War Department’s uniformed service members are trained at the highest and most unwavering standards. . . . [In emergencies] minutes are a lifetime, and our service members have the courage and training to make those precious, short minutes count,” Hegseth continued.
The secretary framed the decision not only as a restoration of constitutional rights, but also as a practical response to recent active shooter incidents on military installations. He cited a 2019 attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, where three people were killed and eight others injured; a 2025 shooting that wounded five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia; and a 2026 shooting at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico that killed one person and injured another.
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
Protecting Soldiers and Veterans
Allowing service members to carry on base is the latest development in protecting those who have served and who currently serve our country.
In February, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it would not report veterans to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System as “prohibited persons” solely because they need help from a fiduciary in managing their VA benefits. The decision corrected a three-decade-old policy that deprived thousands of veterans of their Second Amendment rights.
After consultation with the Department of Justice, the VA determined the policy violated both the Gun Control Act and the Constitution.
“Many Americans struggle with managing their finances, and veterans’ Second Amendment rights shouldn’t be stripped just because they need help in this area,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said. “But for too long, veterans who needed the services of a VA fiduciary were deprived of their right to bear arms. Under the leadership of President Trump, we’re correcting this injustice and ensuring veterans get the same due-process and constitutional rights as all Americans.”
Stopping Active Shooters
The Department of War’s policy change was intended to restore constitutional rights, but it also aims to protect service members from active shooters.
Before the change, military bases were effectively “gun-free” zones for anyone not on duty. This policy not only reflects a significant lack of trust in service members but also creates a defensive disparity.
Data from the Crime Prevention Research Center show armed citizens stop more than 36 percent of active shooters. If “gun-free” zones are removed from the dataset, more than 52 percent of active shooters are stopped by a law-abiding American with a firearm.
“Of course, law-abiding citizens stopping these attacks is not rare,” Crime Prevention Research Center President John Lott said. “What is rare is not citizens stopping these attacks—it’s the national news covering it.”
Allowing service members to carry firearms will not only serve as a deterrent to active shooters, but it will also cut down on response time. The FBI reports that most active threat events—including mass shootings—are over within five minutes. Yet it takes law enforcement between five and 10 minutes, at best, to respond to a shooting.
Freedom First Policies
Service members already place themselves in danger to protect the American people—why shouldn’t they be allowed to protect themselves?
Hegseth’s decision not only heightens military preparedness but also signals that the administration will not allow the Second Amendment to become a second-class right. As states across America continue to battle the gun-control lobby, it is reassuring to know that our service members and veterans can continue to defend themselves and exercise their constitutional rights.
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