September 30, 2025 - The News And Times Review - NewsAndTimes.org

#DOD #Military #Hegseth
Hegseth addresses senior military leaders
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The meeting, which was attended by hundreds of senior military leaders summoned from around the world, was also addressed by President Donald Trump. During an unusual and rare gathering at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assailed what he called “decades of decay” in the military and announced new directives focused on enforcing high physical and grooming standards and ending diversity and inclusion efforts
Main points from Hegseth’s speech
Rejection of diversity and inclusion: Hegseth stated the military is “done” with “social justice, politically correct, and toxic ideological garbage”. He claimed the Pentagon had become the “woke department,” and announced the end of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and “identity months”.
Physical fitness and appearance standards: He announced a strict enforcement of physical fitness and grooming standards, including:Eliminating beards: Hegseth said, “The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos”.
Gender-neutral physical standards: He said physical standards for combat positions would be gender-neutral and based on male benchmarks. He added that if this means fewer women qualify for combat jobs, “so be it”.
Criticism of “fat generals and admirals”: Hegseth described overweight military personnel as “tiring to look at” and “completely unacceptable”. He said troops would be subject to height, weight, and fitness tests twice a year.

Call for dissenters to resign: He challenged military officers who disagreed with his vision to resign, stating, “If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign”.
Focus on “warfighting”: Hegseth framed his changes as restoring a “warrior ethos” to the Department of War—the name the Trump administration has begun using for the Department of Defense. He declared the department’s sole mission to be “warfighting” and preparing to win.
Review of policies: Hegseth said he was directing a full review of the Pentagon’s definitions for “toxic leadership,” “bullying,” and “hazing,” which he claimed had been “weaponized and bastardized” to undermine commanders.
Context of the meeting
Rare, large-scale gathering: The size and scope of the meeting were highly unusual, with hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world summoned on short notice without initial explanation. This fueled speculation about the purpose of the event.
Renaming the Department: The speech took place after President Trump’s administration began using the name “Department of War” for the Pentagon. Hegseth said the name change was part of restoring the “warrior ethos”.
Ongoing tensions: Hegseth has been criticized for lack of experience and previously faced opposition during his confirmation. Concerns over his conduct and policy positions have strained relations with the military’s uniformed leadership, particularly following the removal of several senior officers.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 30, 2025

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