Our great republic was founded on a simple yet bold idea. Our rights as citizens are not granted to us by government but instead by God. 250 years ago the revolutionary war was fought to secure our God given rights. The second amendment to our constitution enshrines the right of all citizens to carry weapons to protect themselves, their families and fellow countrymen. The War Department's uniformed service members are trained at the highest and unwavering standards. These warfighters — 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. Our warfighters defend the right of others to carry, they should be able to carry themselves. Recent events … have made clear that some threats are closer to home than we would like. In these instances, minutes are a lifetime, and our service members have the courage and training to make those precious short minutes count. Before today, it was virtually impossible … for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations. Effectively or bases across the country were gun free zones. Well, no longer… Not all enemies are foreign, nor are they all outside of our borders — some are domestic. Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I am signing into action today, and I'm proud to do so.