Defense secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday that would allow military service members to request permission to carry their personal firearms on military installations such as bases, naval yards and recruitment centers, claiming the new policy will allow soldiers and other military personnel to defend themselves in case of an attack.

While the full text of the memo has yet to be made public, it appears to loosen the current policy that allows for personnel to get permission to have their weapons on base on a case-by-case basis, and requires that they are registered with the base’s authorities and stored in a secure device.

In a video posted on social media, Hegseth said current policies have essentially turned US military installations into “gun-free” zones, leaving those who live and work on the installations vulnerable. It’s a sentiment long shared by second amendment fundamentalists and staunch gun rights activists who have lodged lawsuits against these policies in states across the country.

“The war department’s uniformed service members are trained at the highest and unwavering standards. These war fighters, 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,” he said.

He added that the permission to carry will align with state gun laws. For example, local policies such as permit requirements and limits on the types of weapon and number of rounds of ammunition it can legally hold would still have to be observed. And if a higher-up denies a servicemember’s request to carry, the reasoning behind the decision must be spelled out in detail.

“The presumption is that servicemembers will be able to have their second amendment right on post,” he continued.

Hegseth cited a December 2019 shooting at Pensacola naval base, an August 2025 shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia and a 17 March shooting at Holloman air force base in New Mexico as examples of the types of dangers military members face.

“In these instances minutes are a lifetime and our servicemembers have the courage and training to make those precious short minutes count,” Hegseth said.

This isn’t the first time the federal government has taken up the issue. In November 2016, the Pentagon under Barack Obama issued a directive that created a pathway for people to get similar permissions to the ones Hegseth is enshrining. This directive followed the shooting deaths of four people at a military recruitment center and a Naval and Marine Reserve center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2015.

For more than 20 years preceding that shooting, servicemembers and civilians were not allowed to carry their personal firearms while on their bases and camps unless they were security duty or participating in a law enforcement investigation.

Hegseth’s directive goes further by making approval to carry easier, and requiring a thorough explanation for any carry request denials.

Mayra Guillen, sister of Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old army specialist who was killed by two of her fellow service members in 2020, reposted Hegseth’s statement and showed support for the move, writing: “If my sister would’ve carried, she’d be here today. That monster attacked her inside the arms room, she didn’t stand a chance.”