Pete Hegseth allows troops to carry personal firearms on military bases - theguardian.com

theguardian.com
April 3, 2026
3 min read

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will allow service members to carry personal firearms on military bases.

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Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, has authorized service members to carry personal firearms on military bases, reversing a long-standing prohibition on personal weapons in those facilities. Military bases have maintained strict gun restrictions for decades as a security measure to prevent unauthorized weapons from entering controlled installations. The policy change represents a significant shift in how the Pentagon manages base security and reflects the Trump administration's broader stance on Second Amendment rights within the military. The decision affects millions of active-duty and reserve troops across hundreds of installations worldwide. Military leadership will need to establish new protocols for storage, registration, and safe handling of personal weapons in barracks and common areas.

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