Posted on 09/30/2025 7:05:36 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth slammed "fat generals" and diversity initiatives that he said led to decades of decay in the military and told a rare gathering of commanders on Tuesday they should resign if they don't support his agenda.
"Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading and we lost our way. We became the 'Woke Department,'" Hegseth said as he kicked off the event in Quantico, Virginia.
"But not anymore," he said. Addressing the room full of America's top generals and admirals, summoned from around the world without explanation last week, Hegseth defended his firings of flag officers, which include the top U.S. general, who was Black, and the Navy's top admiral, who was a woman. He said the officers he relieved were part of a broken culture.
He promised sweeping changes to how discrimination complaints are handled and how accusations of wrongdoing are investigated at the Pentagon, saying the current system has top brass walking on "egg shells."
"If the words I'm speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign," Hegseth said.
"I know the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full."
Hegseth criticized the look of overweight troops, saying: "It's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
A LOT of libs in the flag ranks.
Outstanding. It had to be said.
If we fired every 3 & 4 star general, and half of the 2-stars, we’d punish a few good, deserving men. But we’d double our combat capability overnight!
There ARE good people in that group, but for the most part our senior officers are a self-licking cone of politicians. BTW - during my 25 years in, I met ONE general I respected, a couple who were OK and a bunch whose only criteria for decision-making was, “Will it help me get ahead?”!
Also - when I started, the Wing Commander of a USAF wing was a Colonel. Now they are generals. Why?
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
There goes half the Flag ranks. And that’s a good thing.
L
The traitors will not resign they will have to be removed like tumors.
He ain’t wrong...
Hegseth has been a rock star as SECWAR. He is awesome—and he was badly needed!
Hegseth has been a rock star as SECWAR. He is awesome—and he was badly needed!
I watched a bit- he was on FIRE!! At one point mentioned “no more men in skirts”....heads are exploding on the left...
Yep, way too many promoted to O-7 level and above by Obama and Biden. They need to go.
As a military retiree I hate to go on base anymore. The number of fat, tatted up, long nailed sloppy men and women in uniform makes me sick. It’s all of them. Officers and enlisted alike. This is on an Air Force base. I haven’t taken the time to enter an Army post.
Someone said that this meeting was for a push-up contest.
THAT would have been fun to see.
“ Hegseth defended his firings of flag officers, which include the top U.S. general, who was Black, and the Navy’s top admiral, who was a woman. ”
Get used to it folks. We will be inundated with cries of racism and sexism since even a last in/first out firing policy will be loaded with diversity hires.
Even the budget cuts and layoffs are being misconstrued since EVERY department was inflated in numbers and budget by Biden’s usurpers.
EC
I'd rather have a general who acted the part and didn't really look it, then one that looked the part but didn't really act like it.
The fact he had to gather them all together in an unprecedented way, to give them a political seminar, indicates there must a A LOT of opposition to Trump and his agenda amongst the perfumed princes.
Retiree here also. Haven’t been on a military base in many, many years—afraid to see what they look like after Biden.
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
The percentage of fat people has gotten awfully high.
I thought it was just a California problem, but now the percentage here in Florida is extremely large too.
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