Hegseth transforms the Pentagon in his image

United States Secretary of Defense (or Secretary of War, as he prefers to be called), Pete Hegseth, is a staunch Christian nationalist, a believer in outward form and appearance, an admirer of ancient European history and an unrepentant skeptic of everything he deems progressive or “woke.” From elite universities to military commanders who raise objections, he is reshaping his department radically to fit his ideas.

On Wednesday, while his spokesperson confirmed the definitive withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and one day after the war with Iran reached its seven-month mark, he announced several additional steps to accelerate that change, including the creation of an Office for Religious Affairs at the Pentagon and the elimination or firing of personnel from 20% of senior command positions.

In a speech he described as “the State of the Force address” — similar to one he delivered a year ago in which he attacked long-haired or bearded service members, overweight people or those holding progressive views — the secretary of defense also announced the launch of a project to study what wars of the future will look like. He revealed that he will put “three great American patriots” in charge: Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and founder of SpaceX; Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril, a company specializing in artificial intelligence applications for defense; and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The Pentagon already had a unit responsible for that kind of study, the Defense Innovation Unit. Its head, Doug Beck, resigned last year — one more in a long series of departures and resignations at the Pentagon since the former Fox television host took office. NATO also has an entire command dedicated to assessing the future of combat and how Alliance armies will have to prepare. That command is based in Norfolk, Virginia, around 165 miles from where Hegseth was speaking.

“The number crunchers say we fired 10% of the generals and admirals across the force, and that number sounds about right,” he said, referring to the dismissals he has carried out among senior officers. “And I know because I directed it that we’ve also reduced the overall number of general officer slots by an additional 10%. So yes, 20% reduction across the board. Now the media calls that a purge. I call it accountability, and long overdue.”

In his address, which like last year took place at the Marine Corps Infantry Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and which he intends to make annual, Hegseth — who spoke in front of a large American flag — reiterated, as he did then, that beards and abdominal fat are prohibited both among enlisted troops and among commanders. He also said physical exercise is required daily.

“No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no whimps, no radicals,” he listed to describe those who have no place in the armed forces he envisions. “Only warriors,” he stressed.

Last year, the secretary of defense had flown in about 800 senior officers from posts around the world for an event that also featured an appearance by the president, Donald Trump. This time his audience was officers. But his language was as harsh and partisan as it was a year ago, when he attacked “fat” generals and urged the forces to slim down and be in peak shape to ensure their “lethality.”

Hegseth boasted of having dismissed dozens of senior military officers and accused the media of “treason” for publishing stories about the war with Iran that were unflattering to the Pentagon.

He also announced the creation of a new robotics innovation and drone development force, and an initiative, “Fortress America,” to strengthen U.S. military supply chains, avoid dependence on foreign sources, or even on civilian infrastructure in the event of an enemy attack. He said major military installations would generate their own electricity.

A new military base

Hegseth also invited U.S. states to bid to the Department of Defense and the White House to be chosen as the site for a new military base the Pentagon plans to build in the future that would host up to 25,000 service members. Those troops would come from contingents currently deployed overseas. The Pentagon chief did not specify from which locations they would return. His department is conducting a review of deployments it maintains in Europe and has already announced the return of thousands of troops stationed in Germany.

True to his habitual distrust of leading universities he deems too progressive, he also announced a new collaboration program with a number of conservative higher-education centers to train future commanders. “We need students of western civilization and the pillars of our republic. Leaders who understand the faith of Jerusalem, the philosophy of Athens. The power of Rome, and the freedom of Philadelphia circa 1776,” he said.

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