War Secretary Pete Hegseth Declares an End to 'Politically Correct' Leadership in the U.S. Military

TIME

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth outlined several new policies and standards for the military that are in line with President Trump’s agenda. Hegseth's comments were delivered in a speech to almost 800 generals, admirals and senior enlisted advisors who had traveled to a military base in Quantico, Virginia, from around the world at short notice. Hegseth' called for implementing a “highest male standard” for combatants, dispelling “woke garbage,” and telling generals that they should resign if they disagree with his agenda. This is the end, he said, of politically correct leadership.

Transcript

00:00This administration has done a great deal from day one

00:02to remove the social justice, politically correct, and toxic ideological garbage

00:08that had infected our department.

00:10To rip out the politics.

00:14No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses.

00:21No more climate change worship.

00:23No more division, distraction, or gender delusions.

00:27No more debris.

00:28As I've said before, and will say again, we are done with that shit.

00:34I don't want my son serving alongside troops who are out of shape.

00:38Or in combat unit with females who can't meet the same combat arms physical standards as men.

00:44Or troops who are not fully proficient on their assigned weapons platform or task.

00:48Or under a leader who was the first, but not the best.

00:54Standards must be uniform, gender neutral, and high.

00:59If not, they're not standards.

01:04They're just suggestions.

01:07Suggestions that get our sons and daughters killed.

01:11Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation,

01:16and see fat troops.

01:18Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.

01:23And leading commands around the country and the world.

01:25It's a bad look.

01:27It is bad, and it's not who we are.

01:29So whether you're an airborne ranger or a chair-borne ranger,

01:33a brand new private or a four-star general,

01:36you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test.

01:40And as the chairman said, yes, there is no PT test.

01:44But today, at my direction, every member of the joint force at every rank

01:48is required to take a PT test twice a year.

01:51As well as meet height and weight requirements twice a year.

01:56Every year of service.

02:00Also, today, at my direction, every warrior across our joint force

02:03is required to do PT every duty day.

02:07This also means grooming standards.

02:10No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression.

02:15We're going to cut our hair, shave our beards, and adhere to standards.

02:18Because it's like the broken windows theory of policing.

02:22It's like when you let the small stuff go, the big stuff eventually goes.

02:25Allow me a few words to talk about toxic leaders.

02:30Upholding and demanding high standards is not toxic.

02:35Enforcing high standards, not toxic leadership.

02:40Leading warfighters toward the goals of high, gender-neutral,

02:44and uncompromising standards in order to forge a cohesive,

02:47formidable, and lethal Department of War is not toxic.

02:52That's why today, at my direction, we're undertaking a full review

02:55of the Department's definitions of so-called toxic leadership.

03:00Bullying and hazing.

03:02To empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second-guessing.

03:08Of course, you can't do, like, nasty bullying and hazing.

03:11We're talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic.

03:13They've been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs.

03:19No more.

03:21Setting, achieving, and maintaining high standards is what you all do.

03:27And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.

03:29The E6 test, or O3 test, clarifies a lot.

03:33And it clarifies quickly.

03:36Because war does not care if you're a man or a woman.

03:40Neither does the enemy.

03:42Nor does the weight of your rucksack, the size of an artillery round,

03:45or the body weight of a casualty on the battlefield who must be carried.

03:50This, and I want to be very clear about this,

03:53this is not about preventing women from serving.

03:55We are, we very much value the impact of female troops.

04:01Our female officers and NCOs are the absolute best in the world.

04:07But when it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat,

04:12those physical standards must be high and gender neutral.

04:16If women can make it, excellent.

04:19If not, it is what it is.

04:21As foolish and reckless as the woke department was,

04:25those officers were following elected political leadership.

04:29An entire generation of generals and admirals were told

04:33that they must parrot the insane fallacy that, quote,

04:36our diversity is our strength.

04:39Of course, we know our unity is our strength.

04:42They had to put out dizzying DEI and LGBTQI plus statements.

04:48But if the words I'm speaking today are making your heart sink,

04:53then you should do the honorable thing and resign.

04:58We would thank you for your service.

05:01But I suspect, I know,

05:04the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite.

05:09These words make your hearts full.

05:12You love the War Department because you love what you do,

05:14the profession of arms.

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