Hegseth tells military leaders US is falling short, must improve to ‘prevent war’
Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, summoned around 800 US military commanders of the American bases around the world on Tuesday to hammer his message that the armed forces have lost his advantage after “decades of decomposition” and must find it.
Mr. Hegseth, speaking in a marine base outside Washington to many leaders who served in American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, targeted “the big generals and admirals of the Pentagon” and diversity measures which, according to him, have made leaders “walking on egg shells”.
He said that the members of the service would be bound by “highest male standards” and should pass two physical fitness tests per year. “If that means that no woman qualifies for certain combat jobs, whether it is so. It is not the intention, but it could be the result. ”
Why we wrote this
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the country’s soldiers should return to a “warrior ethics”. He warned American generals that if they are not on board with his reforms, which include the holding of service members with “highest male standards”, they should resign.
Women are officially used in military combat jobs for a decade.
Mr. Hegseth, who is the subject of an investigation by the Pentagon Inspector General for having allegedly poorly managed sensitive military information on the application signal, was criticized for convening the meeting due to the cost and security problems. The meeting brought together all the American officers with a grade of a star and more – as well as the President of the United States – in a room.
Mr. Hegseth, who was an adult in the National Army Guard and renamed the war secretary, called the meeting last week.
The secretary started with a welcome that doubled as a warning.
“The era of the Ministry of Defense is over,” he said. “If the words I’m talking about today make your heart flow, then you should do the honorable thing and resign.”
In a speech that seemed designed to project a difficult image given its current calls for a “warrior ethics” and more lethality in the ranks, Mr. Hegseth added: “Our number one work is to be strong so that we can prevent war in the first place.”
In accordance with the standards of their profession, the commanders, who were ordered to appear in clothing uniform, did not respond visibly.
President Donald Trump, who followed Mr. Hegseth and spoke for more than an hour, repeated his assertion that the United States is “under invasion” of an “enemy inside”. In the past, he has used such language to refer to liberal democrats as well as unauthorized immigrants.
“We will straighten them one by one,” he said, adding that some of those in the room would play “a major role” in this effort.
“If you don’t like what I say, you can leave the room,” said Trump. “Of course, there is your rank, there is your future.”
