Same with me. As an E-5 I had CQ duty (Charge of Quarters) twice during my tour. This means that I sit in place of the Commanding Officer during night time hours while he is unavailable.
During only one of these times was I armed. I reported for duty and was presented with an M-16 and ammunition. It wasn't even my own rifle. I found out later that the reason for the rifle was that the currency was being changed the next day and the safe was full of money.
The other time I was unarmed and a soldier who had been doing some serious drinking came into the office yelling that he was going to kill the CO because the soldier had been confined to base.
The soldier was very fortunate that I was unarmed, as otherwise I would have to have confronted him with the M-16. I wouldn't have had a choice as I couldn't afford to have him out-muscle me and end up with the gun.
AS it turned out, I grabbed the soldier in a headlock and began entwining my legs with his in order to bring him to the ground. All during this time the soldier was yelling at the CO who had been awakened by the commotion.
It was a very surrealistic experience wrestling this guy to the ground while he and the CO carried on a heated conversation as if I wasn't even there.
Interesting story. Reminds me of a time in Korea. We had a real disgrace of a SSG assigned to the unit for a couple of months. Three days before his rotation back to the states, he got into a tiff with the unit CO. The unit CQ reported he’d been heard in the barracks threating to kill the CO. Next day he asked the CO to approve his purchase of a shotgun and shells from the PX which was, of course, disapproved.