I was in command of a very small detachment that roamed far and wide on the battlefield, and I'd be damned if I or my men and women be left defenseless.
Don't make me the Secretary of the Army; I'd issue every soldier an M16 and 120 rounds the day they completed Advanced Individual Training, and require them to hold on to the weapon as long as they stayed in the Army. Complete 10 years of service, and the weapon is yours for cost. Complete 20 years, and the weapon is yours for free.