Posted on 12/02/2024 2:58:14 AM PST by RoosterRedux
[This transcript was created by ChatGPT. Errors are always possible so check against the video if questions arise]
What are your thoughts on the new nominated Secretary of Defense?
He was in my Bible study at Princeton. In fact, I was his Bible study leader. I know him fairly well from those days. He and I have kept in touch because we’ve both been involved in veterans' advocacy since we left the service.
A couple of things about Pete. First, he left Princeton and was a Bear Stearns bond trader. Then, in the wake of 9/11, he decided to join the Army—I believe it was the National Guard—and he did three deployments. He’s someone who didn’t have to serve. He had a well-paying, classic Ivy League job and decided to do it anyway. I think he gets a lot of credit for that.
Second, he’s a frontline combat leader. One thing to remember is that virtually all of the current colonel and general class—or admiral class—has not seen frontline combat in a sustained way. I’m 45, and I’m about the oldest of the frontline combat leaders that have been produced by Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom—so Iraq and Afghanistan.
The older leaders were all majors or lieutenant colonels when those wars kicked off, which means they’ve been staff officers. They haven’t carried a rifle or led through several hundred firefights at the pointy end of the spear. I think there’s something to be said for having a Secretary of Defense who has done all of that and can hold them accountable.
Third, Pete doesn’t need the money from Lockheed Martin or Boeing to fund his retirement by sitting on their boards. There’s a lot to be said for someone coming in who doesn’t have ties to the defense industry. There is, for sure, a military-industrial complex. You need some of it to build your manufacturing base and produce things no one else can, but some of it is bad—like when you pay $4,000 for a toilet seat, which is a real thing.
It’s also bad when the Department of Defense fails its audit for the seventh year in a row. If this were a public company, we’d have delisted them, but because it’s the Department of Defense, we let it go. Having someone who’s not beholden to the classic defense contractor industry can be very helpful. I’ve seen plenty of colonels or lieutenant colonels leave the military and immediately join defense contractors. They walk back into their old jobs as civilians with a TS badge, making 30% more. That’s very common, but Pete isn’t part of that industry.
The challenges or negatives to his confirmation are obvious. First, he has no experience leading a large bureaucratic organization. He isn’t familiar with the levers of influence and power within the Pentagon, which is going to be a challenge. Similarly, he doesn’t have large managerial expertise, even outside the defense sector. It’s not like he’s coming in as the CEO of Ford, for example. He’s a news commentator who has largely been an individual contributor.
Finally, he’s had ups and downs in his personal life since coming back from combat. I think he’s on his third wife, and he has a blended family. There are areas of distraction in his personal life as well.
That said, from my knowledge of him as a human, he’s a good man. He wants to love God, and I think he’s in this for the right reasons. We’ve texted back and forth a couple of times since his nomination was announced, and he clearly has the mindset that there’s a lot to do.
I like that the administration is appointing a mix of outsiders and unconventional insiders to get a diverse portfolio of views within the cabinet. Pete is one of those. Whether he gets confirmed or not is an open question, but you could do a lot worse.
He’s got my full-throated support. I know the man; I know his character. He’s not looking to parlay his time as Defense Secretary into a $10 million-a-year career afterward, which you can’t say about a lot of people. He wants to do a good job for the right reasons and approaches this with a combat leader’s mindset.
From what I’ve heard, I’m in full support of him as well. He recognizes the dangers of the military-industrial complex and the risks of certain social experiments within the military. He understands the importance of lethality because he’s fought on the front lines, unlike many generals who have never had their lives on the line repeatedly.
He knows what it means to have uncompromising standards and excellence at the tip of the spear. He doesn’t see the military as a laboratory for progressive social experiments at the expense of lethality.
Should the military be racially integrated? Of course. You need the best people, regardless of their skin color, at the tip of the spear. Should the military be an absolute meritocracy? Absolutely. If you want to be in Delta Force, you need to be the best of the best.
Should the military have a diverse base? Absolutely. If you want a Farsi speaker, you’ll likely find them in immigrant populations that have chosen to serve this country. But at the end of the day, the military’s job is to win wars. Pete understands that, and there’s a lot to be said for that.
In this video, Donovan Campbell, a friend of Pete Hegseth, shares his thoughts on the newly nominated Secretary of Defense, Pete. Donovan discusses Pete's background, including his service in the military after leaving a well-paying job on Wall Street.He highlights Pete's experience as a frontline combat leader and the importance of having a Secretary of Defense who has been at the "pointy end of the spear." Donovan also notes that Pete is not beholden to the defense industry, which could be beneficial in addressing issues like overspending and failed audits.
While acknowledging some challenges, such as Pete's lack of experience managing a large bureaucratic organization, Donovan expresses his support for the nomination, emphasizing Pete's character and his commitment to serving for the right reasons.
Donovan Campbell grew up in Dallas, Texas, as the oldest of five brothers. He graduated with high honors from Princeton University in May 2001 and joined the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant in November of the same year. At Basic School, Donovan graduated first in his class and first in every single evaluated area, and he later deployed twice to Iraq. He was awarded a Bronze Star with Valor for heroism during his second deployment, in which he led a forty-man infantry platoon through some of the fiercest fighting of the war.
After leaving active service in 2005, Donovan attended Harvard Business School, where he graduated with high distinction and was named a Baker Scholar for performing in the top 5 percent of his class.
During his second year of the masters program, Donovan was recalled to active service, and in 2008 he deployed to Afghanistan as a captain supporting Special Operations Command, Central. He was awarded a Defense Meritorious Service Medal for exceptional service overseas.
Thanks for posting this. Not that it will sway the demonrats and rinos charged with approving him. However, God can do what none other can.
Hopefully Trump has somebody like Chris Miller on deck because its not just the Democrats and RINOs who think He Seth is a poor choice. Hes a poor choice. Having looked extensively into his train wreck of a personal choice I forced myself to listen to a 90 minute conversation/interview. The guy is a total lightweight. Sorry but he just is.
Assuming you are a better typist than I, why is the “g” missing? One thing he does have is guts. From your tagline, my guess is that you object to his stance on women in combat.
Tell me about your CIB.
No actually I agree with his stance on women in combat. I object to his lack of experience and history of reckless behavior.
We’re talking about the Director of Defense here not Secretary of the Interior. We need a heavy hitter to shake up the Pentagon and restore the military infrastructure.
Ill be surprised if HegSeth gets confirmed.
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