Hegseth

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a speech at a high-profile gathering of hundreds of the U.S. military’s tallest brass tubes held Tuesday morning, which stimulated fear, challenges and praise.

Over the course of about 45 minutes, Hegseth introduced 10 directives to try to remove the so-called “wake-up” efforts and raise fitness standards to eliminate “fat” troops and leaders, implement strict modification standards, and impose “male standards” on combat troops.

For those who don’t have a vision, the message from the Pentagon head is simple: You can leave.

“The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can move forward with the right policies…but if what I say today makes your heart sink, you should do the honorary thing and quit.”

Trump followed Hegseth on the stage, threatening to open fire, he didn’t like to open fire and suggested that the military could use “dangerous” American cities as “training grounds.”

Democratic lawmakers quickly criticized the incident as an unnecessary gathering, which gave dangerous precedents the possibility of undermining the constitution.

Ranking of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed (Dr.) called the meeting a “expensive, dangerous leadership” of the Trump administration.

“While the real global threat is facing the U.S. military, Mr. Heggs and President Trump have chosen to pull the general and the admiral from the mission to hear hours of political dissatisfaction,” Reed said in a statement.

“What is even more disturbing is that Mr. Heggs’s final aatim to senior American officials: conforming to his political worldview or abandonment. This requirement is very dangerous. It shows that partisan loyalty is more important than the constitution’s ability, judgment or service, undermines the principles of professional, non-partisan military.”

Mark Cancian, a senior advisor to the Defense and Security Division of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he and many others were worried that Hegseth’s speech would have a partisan boost to the military, but for now, their concerns have been alleviated.

“He talked about a non-partisan army. He talked about the constitutional oath, and he said, he said that he was talking about everything right. So, yes, that doesn’t mean we won’t do something different tomorrow. But it’s not what I’m asking for loyalty, and I and many others are concerned,” Cancian said in an interview with The Hill on Tuesday, “

In his speech, Heggs said that even if fewer women serve in the armed forces, physical testing is a priority for the troops. He also added that the Pentagon’s internal complaints and investigation plans will be changed so unit leaders will not “step on the eggshell.”

“There are no more rash complaints, no more anonymous complaints, no more repeated complaints, no more (destroyed) reputation, no more endless waiting, no more legal obstacles, no more situations, no deviant from the chicken coop,” the defense minister said.

Heggs said sexual harassment and racism were “errible and illegal”, saying that these violations would be “ruthless” enforced, but “telling someone to shave or shave or shave or shave or shave or shave or fix or fix their uniform or work hard, that’s the kind of discrimination we want.”

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), an Air Force veteran who previously criticized the head of the Pentagon, praised Hergers’ focus on combat, “Our main goal is to win the war and stop the war,” but admitted that “a lot of things can be achieved.”

He also criticized the Trump administration for “increasing firing of senior leaders whose only mistake was following the instructions of the previous administration.” Since February, Hegseth has fired many three- and four-star generals and admirals, including Chief of Staff General CQ Brown.

Heggs said the ruling of the highest general and admiral earlier this year was partly due to the need for major changes in the culture within the Pentagon. “My approach is simple, if in doubt, evaluate the situation, follow your intuition and if that’s the best for the military, make a change.”

Hergs’ requirement for all combat troops to meet the “male standard” has raised alarm from his critics, who tried to expel women from certain roles in the army.

The Defense Secretary told the crowd: “If women can do this.” It’s not the intention, but it could be the result. ”

Amy McGrath, a former fighter pilot and Democratic Senate candidate, was the first woman to fly a Marine combat mission, who wrote on X: “Hegseth continues to say “continue to demean and lie to women in the army”.

She added: “He claimed that the military needed to ‘return to the male standard’ in combat work (1990!), but the truth is: there was never a single male and female standard. When women entered the combat role, a standard was set and we’ve been encountering it ever since.”

Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who served as an officer in the Army National Guard, supported his speech.

“I think what he advocates is that we have been publicizing as Republicans for a long time, especially in terms of standards within combat weapons,” she told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Cancian, who has spent more than three decades in the Marine Corps, said fitness standards for hiking all service personnel “almost certainly” would result in having fewer women in combat units, but it would impose any “severe restrictions” on women in non-combat units

Former Army Infantry Officer Tom Cotton (R-Ark).

“By eliminating politics, emphasizing fitness standards and combat readiness, our military is refocused on stopping war and winning war when necessary,” like Tuberville, Cotton, on the Senate Armed Services Committee, he wrote on social platforms Tuesday.

Shared Defense is a senior organization at the grassroots level that threatens the objectivity of our military and the security of our troops in a statement called “Shameful and Undemocratic Political Theater.” ”

Others criticized Hergs for calling on troops to ignore “stupid engagement rules,” which devalues ​​the directive of the U.S. military’s use of force and when to use it – a rule designed to prevent the abuse of civilians in other war crimes.

“We release overwhelming and punishing our enemies’ violence,” Heggs said. “We also don’t fight stupid engagement rules. We untouch the warriors’ hands to intimidate, frustrate, hunt and kill enemies in our country. Politically no longer is the right and overbearing rule of participation.”

Iraqi combat veteran, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-ill.), hammered Hammen as he cuts engagement rules and reduces penalties for bullying.

“The U.S. Supreme Defense Leader encourages the dangerous forces that deceive the military to strike and die for us, especially those who should know that the U.S. military has died from bullying,” Duckworth said Tuesday.

“He also claimed that weakening engagement rules can strengthen our fighters when in reality, it will only create more American enemies and make these enemies more likely to torture captured U.S. troops,” the Democrat of Illinois said on MSNBC.

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