Hold on a second there...

Military leaders are in part hamstrung by a 19th century law that bars the federal government from using the military for law enforcement purposes.

Except we aren't arming them to act as law enforcement but to defend themselves in case of attack. The Posse Comitatus Act doesn't apply, but paranoid as I am about the Obama Administration, I can see them using this as an excuse to repeal under their "never let a crisis go to waste" approach to government.