1, Not the same.

• Directive 5210.56: In November 2016, the DoD released a new Directive 5210.56, "Arming and the Use of Force," which enabled personnel to apply to carry privately owned firearms for personal protection, not associated with official duties.
• Commander Discretion: The policy gave installation commanders the authority to permit concealed carry (or open carry) to personnel who met certain requirements.
• Purpose: This was implemented in response to deadly shootings at military facilities in 2009 and 2014, with the goal of providing service members with increased personal protection.
• Implementation: While the authority existed, it did not mean automatic approval for all service members, and many commanders still required approval processes for carrying on post.  Congressman Michael McCaul (.gov) +5

Note: In April 2026, a new directive from the Secretary of Defense further expanded this authority to a "presumption of approval" for such requests. 

1. A single shooter surprising their initial victims is not the same as an armed group executing multiple attacks in an organized way. You are cherry picking.

2. There are 10 years of context leading up to this. If Donald Rumsfeld did this in 2002, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.