This past September, a proud alumnus of Princeton University gave one of the most significant and consequential speeches of the 21st century. The speech was held in Quantico, Virginia, and it thoroughly outlined the extensive overhaul of the Department of Defense, as it was previously known.
Pete Hegseth, on September 30th, 2025, the newly-declared Secretary of War, came as the slayer of the three-headed hydra, announcing the complete gutting of the department, to be replaced by the now more fearsome and intimidating Department of War. This name predates the creation of the nation’s capital. It is easy to see how this nation’s culture has been scrupulously destroyed over the past century, while the plague of unassimilated cultures has infiltrated even the smallest of the nooks and crannies of American life.
The name ‘Department of War,’ with its roots in the creation of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, when Henry Knox served as George Washington’s Secretary of War from 1789 to 1794, underscores the enduring purpose of this department. Its primary role, since its inception, has been to administer and manage all military affairs, to be steadfast in the presence and immersion of war, and to unleash on the enemy the full might and resilience of the United States of America.
In the speech, the Secretary of War reiterates the importance of the Trump Administration’s strategy for achieving and maintaining world peace. Hegseth mentioned, “To ensure peace, we must prepare for war, and that ‘pacifism ignores human nature and human history.” The administration’s strategy for addressing global violence and war is called ‘peace through strength,” which essentially promotes maintaining a strong, capable force, ready to deter potential conflicts from coming to fruition. The Secretary said, “Should our enemies choose foolishly to challenge us, they will be crushed by the violence, precision, and ferocity of the War Department” (Hegseth, 2025). The United States currently has the strongest military in terms of infrastructure and technology, but it lacks strength in its personnel.
The Department of War is now pushing for physically fit, strong troops. This means not allowing any physically unfit or fat people in the military, regardless of job position, rank, or age. Again, wars are not won by our ‘diversity’, nor by an inclusive platoon, but by having the fittest, most prepared, and most vicious troops in the world. Hegseth says, “It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the Secretary of War can do regular hard PT (Physical Training), so can every member of our joint forces. Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the world. It’s a bad look. It’s bad, and it’s not who we are” (Hegseth, 2025). Having unfit or fat people in charge not only puts the citizens of this country in danger but also endangers the freedoms this country must defend. It is important to understand the roles that the Army Expert Physical Fitness Assessment and the Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test play in our military’s overall fitness readiness.
Physical readiness standards ought to be enforced stringently. Hegseth mentions, “Standards must be uniform, gender neutral, and high. If not, they’re not standard. They’re just suggestions, suggestions that get our sons and daughters killed” (Hegseth, 2025). This is the prime example of why DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) is a failure across every industry. Nevertheless, the removal of DEI is quintessential to rebuilding the military. Hegseth even mentioned no physical exemption for female members, mentioning, “Today, at my direction, each service will ensure that every requirement for combat MOS (Military Occupational Specialty), for every designated combat arms position returns to the highest male standard only because this job is life or death. Standards must be met” (Hegseth, 2025).
The Secretary of War has also addressed that the era of sensitivity and political correctness is over. He says, “At every level, either you can meet the standard, or you can do the job, either you are disciplined, fit, and trained, or you are out!” (Hegseth, 2025). The military is also going forth with the removal of the infamous ‘woke’ ideology that has plagued America since the start of the Obama administration. Hegseth says, “The military is not the place to be someone you are not; this includes dudes in dresses” (Hegseth, 2025).
Since the start of the Trump Administration and the implementation of its agenda, the military has seen increases in recruiting and retention rates never seen in at least 60 years. The monthly recruitment numbers, this year alone, have crushed the prior administration’s yearly recruitment and retention goals. For example, in February of 2025 alone, the military received 59,262 active-duty recruits, while in March, 71,968 active-duty recruits enlisted (Department of War, 2025). In contrast, the 2023 Fiscal Year active duty recruitment was 133,975 (Department of War, 2023). This type of recruitment activity, under the Trump administration, is unprecedented in the United States during times of peace over its 249 years of existence. This shows what confidence and competence in the military bring to the American people: the ignition of patriotism and pride. The protectors of freedom are driven to sacrifice everything for the ideals they truly stand for. A stronger, fit military focused on lethal operations is the way to achieve this.
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