Defense Secretary Hegseth Calls for Traditional Values, Warfighting Focus
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has outlined his vision for the US military, urging those who disagree to resign. He called for a return to 'traditional values' and 'warfighting focus', marking a departure from recent efforts to address toxic culture and harmful behaviors.
Hegseth, a former National Guard major, criticized the military's culture, stating, 'We are done with that shit.' He called for troops to ignore 'stupid rules of engagement' and advocated for 'overwhelming and punishing violence' on enemies.
Among his 10 directives are policies like clean-shaven troops with few exemptions, male physical standards for combat jobs, and potentially no women in those roles. He also plans to review and correct terms like 'hazing', 'bullying', and 'toxic', which he believes have been 'weaponized'.
Hegseth vowed to overhaul the Pentagon Inspector General and military's equal opportunity programs. He explicitly excludes individuals influenced by 'woke' ideology, instead favoring patriots aligned with conservative and anti-woke values. He framed these policies as an end to 'woke' initiatives like 'identity months' and 'dudes in dresses'.
Hegseth appeared to criticize retired US Army general Peter Chiarelli, praising military leaders like Stockdale, Schwarzkopf, and Patton instead. His vision aims to focus solely on warfighting and roll back efforts to eradicate toxic culture in the military.
Hegseth's directives, including clean-shaven troops and male physical standards for combat roles, signal a shift in the military's culture and appearance. His policies aim to exclude 'woke' influences and focus on traditional values and warfighting. The impact of these changes on the military's culture and diversity remains to be seen.
