Progressive policies are out and wartime fitness standards are in at the newly-renamed Department of War, according to Secretary Pete Hegseth. At a high-profile meeting with the U.S. military’s top generals in Quantico on Tuesday morning, Hegseth and President Donald Trump unveiled new plans and policies to restore the military’s “warrior ethos” after years of left-wing dilution.
“Good morning, and welcome to the War Department, because the era of the Department of Defense is over,” Hegseth announced. “The motto of my first platoon was, ‘Those who long for peace must prepare for war,’” he shared. “This is, of course, not a new idea. This crowd knows that the origin dates to fourth century Rome, and has been repeated ever since, including by our first commander in chief, George Washington, the first leader of the War Department. It captures a simple yet profound truth. To ensure peace, we must prepare for war.”
“From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this war-fighting, preparing for war and preparing to win, unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit,” Hegseth, himself a decorated military veteran who served in the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, announced. “Not because we want war — no one here wants war — but it’s because we love peace. We love peace for our fellow citizens. They deserve peace, and they rightfully expect us to deliver it,” the secretary of War continued. “Our number one job, of course, is to be strong so that we can prevent war in the first place. The president talks about it all the time. It’s called peace through strength. And as history teaches us, the only people who actually deserve peace are those who are willing to wage war to defend it.”
“We are the strength part of peace through strength, and either we’re ready to win or we are not,” Hegseth told the senior officers gathered. “This speech today is about people, and it’s about culture. The topic today is about the nature of ourselves. Because no plan, no program, no reform, no formation will ultimately succeed unless we have the right people and the right culture at the War Department,” he continued. “The best way to take care of troops is to give them good leaders committed to the war-fighting culture of the Department. Not perfect leaders — good leaders, competent, qualified, professional, agile, aggressive, innovative, risk-taking, apolitical, faithful to their oath and to the Constitution.”
“For too long, we have simply not done that. The military has been forced by foolish and reckless politicians to focus on the wrong things. In many ways, this speech is about fixing decades of decay,” the secretary explained. “You might say we’re ending the war on warriors,” he quipped. “For too long, we’ve promoted too many uniformed leaders for the wrong reasons based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts. We’ve pretended that combat arms and non-combat arms are the same thing. We’ve weeded out so-called toxic leaders under the guise of double-blind psychology assessments promoting risk-averse, ‘go along to get along’ conformists instead,” Hegseth recounted. “You name it, the department did it. Foolish and reckless. Political leaders set the wrong compass heading, and we lost our way. We became the woke department. But not anymore.”
“This administration has done a great deal from day one to remove the social justice, politically-correct, and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department, to rip out the politics. No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship, no more division, distraction, or gender delusions. No more debris,” Hegseth declared. “As I’ve said before and will say again, we are done with that s***. I’ve made it my mission to uproot the obvious distractions that made us less capable and less lethal. That said, the War Department requires the next step.”
“The litmus test for these changes is pretty simple. Would I want my eldest son, who is 15 years old, eventually joining the types of formations that we are currently wielding?” Hegseth asked. “My son is no more important than any other American citizen who dons the cloth of our nation. He is no more important than your son. All precious souls made in the image and likeness of God,” he continued. “Every parent deserves to know that their son or their daughter that joins our ranks is entering exactly the kind of unit that the secretary of War would want his son to join,” Hegseth emphasized. “Jesus said, ‘Do unto others what you would have done unto yourself.’ It’s the ultimate simplifying test of truth. The new War Department golden rule is this: ‘Do unto your unit as you would have done unto your own child’s unit.”
“Would you want him serving with fat or unfit or under-trained troops, or alongside people who can’t meet basic standards, or in a unit where standards were lowered so certain types of troops could make it in, in a unit where leaders were promoted for reasons other than merit performance and war-fighting? The answer is not just no, it’s hell no,” the secretary proclaimed. “This means that the War Department, first and foremost, we must restore a ruthless, dispassionate, and common-sense application of standards,” he explained. “I don’t want my son serving alongside troops who are out of shape or in combat, in a unit with females who can’t meet the same combat arms physical standards as men, or troops who are not fully proficient on their assigned weapons platform or task, or under a leader who was the first but not the best,” Hegseth shared. “Standards must be uniform, gender neutral, and high. If not, they’re not standards. They’re just suggestions, suggestions that get our sons and daughters killed.”
“The era of politically correct, overly-sensitive, ‘don’t hurt anyone’s feelings’ leadership ends right now at every level. Either you can meet the standard, either you can do the job, either you are disciplined, fit, and trained, or you are out,” Hegseth stated. Some of the policies he shared that the Department of War is introducing to increase the U.S. military’s lethality and warrior ethos include:
The Department is restoring the highest male standards for combat roles, ensuring that all personnel in combat Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) and designated combat arms positions meet the highest male physical fitness and performance standards, regardless of their sex. “If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is,” Hegseth said. “It will also mean that weak men won’t qualify, because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death.”
All servicemembers, including high-ranking officers such as generals and admirals, will have to pass rigorous physical fitness and weight tests twice a year. “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations — or really any formation — and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world,” Hegseth said. “It’s a bad look. It is bad, and it’s not who we are. So whether you’re an Airborne Ranger or a Ranger, a brand new private or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your P.T. test.”
Grooming and appearance standards are also being reset in an effort to promote uniformity and discipline. Bans on beards and long hair, for example, will be strictly enforced now, with exceptions made for Special Forces personnel. “No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression. We’re going to cut our hair, shave our beards, and adhere to standards,” the clean-shaven Hegseth announced. “We don’t have a military full of Nordic pagans, but unfortunately, we have had leaders who either refuse to call B.S. and enforce standards, or leaders who felt like they were not allowed to enforce standards. Both are unacceptable.”
The War Department will also be reducing unnecessary training related to issues such as climate, sensitivity, gender ideology, and DEI. “An entire generation of generals and admirals were told that they must parrot the insane fallacy that ‘our diversity is our strength.’ … They had to put out dizzying DEI and LGBTQ+ statements. They were told females and males are the same thing, or that males who think they’re females are totally normal. They were told that we need a green fleet and electric tanks. They were told to kick out Americans who refuse an emergency vaccine,” Hegseth recounted. “Now we’re giving you back real time: less PowerPoint briefings and fewer online courses, more time in the motor pool and more time on the range.”
The online actions of troops will also be more strictly observed and disciplined. Anonymous posting and particularly criticizing or complaining about military leaders will not be tolerated. “Anonymous online or keyboard complaining is not worthy of a warrior. It’s cowardice masquerading as conscience. Anonymous unit-level social media pages that trash commanders, demoralize troops, and undermine unit cohesion must not be tolerated again,” Hegseth clarified. Additionally, officers will not be excessively penalized for “honest mistakes” or for taking risks. “A risk-averse culture means officers execute not to lose, instead of to win,” Hegseth explained. “Commanders and NCOs don’t take necessary risks or make tough adjustments for fear of rocking the boat or making mistakes. A blemish-free record is what peacetime leaders covet the most, which is the worst of all incentives.”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion standards, such as race-based hiring or promotion, and gender ideology, as Hegseth noted at the beginning of his speech, are over at the Department of War. Instead, the military will focus on merit-based hiring and promotion to ensure that it is advancing the best, brightest, and bravest that the nation has to offer.
In comments to The Washington Stand, retired Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert Maginnis, senior fellow for National Security at Family Research Council, observed, “Secretary Hegseth sent a very clear message at Quantico: the Pentagon is back to being the War Department. His focus is on warfighting, not bureaucracy. That means ending politically-correct distractions — he said flat out, ‘the era of overly-sensitive, don’t hurt anyone’s feelings’ leadership ends right now.’” Maginnis added, “What this means moving forward is simple: a leaner, tougher, more lethal military. If it’s done right, it restores the warrior ethos that wins wars. But it will also test whether these reforms are about readiness or politics. The stakes couldn’t be higher.”
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, executive vice president at Family Research Council, told TWS, “In my 36-and-a-half years in the U.S. Army, I never saw an event like this, where virtually all senior leadership of all the military services gathered to hear the secretary of Defense tell his people what he expects of them and the people they lead.” Boykin shared, “I think it is another indication that our American military is being restored from the abysmal shape that it was in when the last administration left office. I sincerely hope that this will be at least an annual event for him and these leaders.”
The president also spoke at the Quantico summit, joking that Hegseth’s speech was so strong that he would rather “fire” the secretary than have to follow him onstage. “There could be no higher honor than to serve as your commander in chief. It is a great honor. … To each and every one of you, I thank you for your unwavering devotion to the armed forces and to the country that we’ve all sworn a sacred oath to defend,” Trump began.
Addressing the change of name from Department of Defense to Department of War, the president commented, “We won the First World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything in between and everything before that. We only won. And then we went in a way that was probably the first sign of wokeness. And we changed it to Defense instead of War.” He observed, “It’s really a historic reassertion of our purpose and our identity and our pride. That’s when we go with the word war.” The president continued, “We want war, because we want to have no wars. But you have to be there, sometimes you have to do it. I have settled so many wars since we’re here. We’re here almost nine months, and I’ve settled seven. And yesterday we might have settled the biggest of them all.”
Trump observed that the only conflict he hasn’t “settled” yet is the one between Ukraine and Russia. He faulted his predecessor, Joe Biden, and his inept leadership of the military for emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in the conflict. “I mean, if we were weak, they wouldn’t even take my phone call. But we have extreme strength. We had the horror show in Afghanistan, which is really the reason I think that Putin went in. He saw that horror show by Biden and his team of incompetent people, and that showed, I think it gave him a path in,” the president posited. “And now we’re back, and that’s it. We’re not going to have any of that crap happen, I can tell you. That was terrible. So terrible.”
“Together, we’re reawakening the warrior spirit. And this is a spirit that won and built this nation. And from the cavalry that tamed the Great Plains to the ferocious, unyielding power of Patton, Bradley, and the great General Douglas MacArthur, these are all great men in this effort. We’re a team,” the president told the gathered military leaders. “I am with you, I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100%. You’ll never see me even waver a little bit. That’s the way it is.”
“As leaders, our commitment to every patriot who put on the uniform is to ensure that the American military remains the most lethal and dominant on the planet, not merely for a few years, but for decades,” Trump declared. “To be so strong that no nation will dare challenge us, so powerful that no enemy will dare threaten us, and so capable that no adversary can even think about beating us,” he added. “History has shown that military supremacy has never been simply a matter of money or manpower. At the end of the day, it is the culture, the spirit of our military, that truly sets us apart from any other nation,” the president stated. “Our ultimate strength will always come from the fierce people, those brilliant people with such pride and the unbending will and the traditions of excellence that have made us the most unstoppable force ever to walk the face of the earth. And that’s what we are.”
“The men and women in this room inherit the legacy built and won by Washington and Jackson. Grant and Pershing, Eisenhower and Patton, Nimitz and LeMay. We carry forward the majestic military heritage passed down from father to son, soldier to soldier, and one generation of warriors to the next,” Trump soliloquized. “From Concord Bridge to Fort McHenry, from Gettysburg to Manila Bay, from Normandy to Sicily, and from the jungles of Vietnam to the dusty streets of Baghdad, America’s military has charged into hellfire, climbed up jagged mountains, crossed roaring oceans, and thundered across open deserts to defend our flag, our freedom, and our homeland.”
“Now we are discovering American muscle, reasserting American might, and beginning the next storied chapter in American military legends and lore. … When it comes to defending our way of life, nothing will slow us. No enemy will stop us. They cannot stop us. And no adversary will stand in our way. They won’t stand in our way,” the president asserted. “We will vanquish every danger and crush every threat to our freedom in every generation to come. Because we will fight, fight, fight, and we will win, win, win. I want to just thank you once again, and God bless the United States military and God bless America. God bless you all.”
[SRC] https://washingtonstand.com/article/ready-to-win-hegseth-announces-new-policies-to-restore-department-of-wars-warrior-ethos
