Private gun ownership on base

It seems sort of contradictory that we can shoot automatic weapons, and yet private gun ownership is banned on base. I'm sure this only applies to troops living in the barracks, because I know for a fact all the NCOs that lived off base had personal weapons. What is the deal anyways? We sign them up when they think about sex 79% of the day. They are mentally immature. We remove any identity they have and give them one that is acceptable to the military. We train them for war. We tell them what they can do and what they cannot. You can have our weapons, but you cannot have your own? What message does that send? I'm sure the ban is trying to minimize on base shootings...but come on, is it realistic? Is it working?