U.S. Media: U.S. Defense Secretary announces lifting the ban, allowing U.S. military personnel to carry personal firearms on military bases

Ask AI · How can new policies balance personal protection and the risk of suicide among U.S. military personnel?

【Global Times report, reporter Li Ziyu】According to a report by The Hill, U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth announced on April 2 local time that the ban on U.S. soldiers carrying personal firearms at U.S. military bases has been lifted.

“Our warfighters defend the right to carry (personal firearms), and they should be able to carry them themselves,” Hegseth said in a video he posted on the social platform X that day.

On April 2 local time, Hegseth announced the lifting of the ban, allowing U.S. soldiers to carry personal firearms at military bases. Photo source: Hegseth’s social media platform X account

The report quoted Hegseth as saying that he signed a document requiring commanders of military facilities to approve soldiers’ applications to carry personal firearms on bases “for reasons of personal protection.” “Not all enemies come from overseas, and not all are outside our borders,” Hegseth added. “Some enemies are right here within the country. Confirm your (right to) self-defense granted by God—that is what I am signing today and putting into action.”

The Hill mentioned that the U.S. Department of Defense previously prohibited carrying private weapons within military facilities.

The report said that, regarding this decision by the U.S. defense chief, Barbara Starr, the former CNN Pentagon correspondent, posted on the social platform X, saying, “He (Hegseth) may be interested in some military concerns about the correlation between holding private weapons on bases and suicide rates.”

The Hill said that a report released by the U.S. Department of Defense on April 1 local time showed that in 2024, there were 471 U.S. military suicides, and an additional 1,515 suicide attempts were reported. Among all service members (including active-duty service members, reservists, and National Guard members), firearms are the most common method of suicide.

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