Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum this week lifting longstanding restrictions on personal firearms carried by service members on U.S. military bases, reversing a policy that has been in place for more than 30 years. The directive opens the door for troops to carry personal weapons on installations, with specific implementation left to the discretion of base commanders.

The existing restrictions trace back to a 1993 Department of Defense directive that broadly limited the carrying of privately owned firearms on military property. Hegseth's memo marks the first significant rollback of that policy, which critics have long argued left service members vulnerable on installations that became targets of mass shootings, including the 2009 Fort Hood attack and the 2013 Washington Navy Yard shooting.

The policy change does not establish a universal right to carry on all bases; rather, it creates a framework through which commanders can authorize personal carry based on local conditions and security assessments. Details of how the policy will be implemented across the services and individual installations are expected to follow in subsequent guidance from the military branches.

The announcement came amid broader scrutiny of Hegseth's tenure at the Pentagon, including separate reporting on his involvement in military promotion decisions. Supporters of the new firearms policy argue it restores a fundamental right to those sworn to defend the country, while critics raise questions about safety protocols, the role of military police, and the potential for increased incidents on bases.