When Pete Hegseth whisked hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals—at taxpayers’ expense—from their command posts around the world, many weren’t sure what to expect to hear at the defense secretary’s mysterious meeting. Some officials at the Pentagon joked that it may have saved a lot of time and money if he had sent his remarks via email instead.
In his 45-minute speech, staff writers Nancy A. Youssef and Missy Ryan report, Hegseth announced stricter fitness standards, and declared the end of diversity initiatives, facial hair, accommodations for women, and systems for holding “toxic” commanders accountable. “We became the ‘Woke Department,’” Hegseth told a room of career military officers, “Not anymore.”
During his remarks, and through a much longer speech from Donald Trump, most officers showed little visible reaction. Afterwards, some officers in attendance spoke candidly to Youssef and Ryan. On the condition of anonymity, they expressed disappointment, discomfort, and concern—for women and Black troops, for the prevention of harassment and bullying, and for the future of the military as a whole.
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