Posted on 10/01/2025 5:27:41 AM PDT by MtnClimber
At Quantico, Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump delivered a blunt message to America’s generals: the age of political correctness is over, and uncompromising readiness is now the standard.
When Secretary Pete Hegseth strode to the podium at Quantico and declared, “Welcome to the War Department,” he did more than rename an institution. He called for a reckoning.
Hegseth’s speech was direct and unsparing. “The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now.” He pledged to “clear out the debris, remove distractions, [and] clear the way for leaders to be leaders… You might say, we’re ending the war on warriors.” He ordered that “each service will ensure that every requirement for every combat MOS for every designated combat arms position returns to the highest male standard only.” He invoked a new rule “for commanders”: “Do unto your unit as you would have done unto your own child’s unit.”
President Donald Trump then completed the message with a vow to rebuild America’s military might. He promised to make the armed forces “stronger, tougher, faster, fiercer and more powerful than it has ever been before,” adding, “I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100%.” Yet he also issued a stark warning: “If I don’t like somebody, I’m going to fire them right on the spot.”
The words were bold, even historic. But the challenge is clear: rhetoric must be matched by disciplined reform.
Readiness Must Follow Rhetoric
The “warrior ethos” cannot rest on slogans or speeches alone. Standards must be tied to measurable outcomes: deployable brigades, validated joint certifications, combat-credible training cycles. “Clearing debris” must mean doctrine and discipline, not theater.
Meritocracy, Not Ideology
Trump’s solidarity line -- “I have your backs 100%” -- is important for morale. However, his threat to fire generals risks undermining professionalism.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
“Does anyone agree with that?”
nope ... it’s bullshit ... the USA military is the last institution in the USA that is [or at least now it is]: “Obey orders and perform, or you’ll be replaced with someone who will.” ...
Either you’re on board with the administration policies or you’re not. If not, there’s the door. Every other argument is just smoke.
I have one question.
In the original version of the War Department, there was also a Navy Department in the Cabinet. This is because appropriations for the Army under the Constitution cannot exceed two years, while building and deploying a Navy is a long-term project.
Is the Navy now included in the War Department?
When I read the AT article this morning, I interpreted "undermining professionalism" as a good thing. As in undermining brown-nosing, politically centered decision making disguised as "professionalism" to get promoted by the political masters that had run the DOD in the past, when the generals and admirals should have been focused on meritocracy and military readiness.
But maybe I didn't interpret it as the author meant it.
Now he needs to remove the Ranger tabs from those that didn’t earn it and make them go back through the program with the original standards adhered to.
I think his speech is something that can be modified and used for other disciplines and our country, in general.
Hegseth walks the walk...he is fit and works at it. Setting the example from the top.
I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall to listen to the various generals discuss this after the meeting.
It was definitely a good speech, and like you said, can be applied across many areas.
Knowledge is of no value when overweight people cannot handle the stress. Physical fitness translates into focused performance amid chaos and fatigue.
They were speaking to room full of the politically correct as Obama molded them. Remember he eliminated hundreds who did not conform to his vision.
Trump is a builder.
Step one is demolition.
Hegseth understands that.
A military should always have a sense of urgency.
There should not be “comfort zones” of unaccountability.
Hegseth thinks the fat guys appear too comfortable.
Fat boys shouldn’t make it any farther than sergeant if that.
We got too many generals with a Sgt. Schultz body type.
Keep the warriors dump the REMF desk commandos.
Please, NOT General Buck Turgidson! I couldn't bear it if General Turgidson is fired!
What was the War Department became the Department of the Army when the Department of Defense was created in 1947. It, the Department of the Navy, and the new Department of the Air Force were all part of the Department of Defense. It seems to me that the only change is to the name. The Department of Defense is now the Department of War and the individual service departments all still all part of the overall whole organization. Nothing has changed in that aspect has changed other than the name.
PLENTY OF ROOM FOR THINNING THE RANKS
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