Hegseth Declares End to 'Woke' Military

“You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct, don’t necessarily belong always in polite society,” he added. “You are different. We fight not because we hate what’s in front of us, we fight because we love what’s behind us.”

“If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” he told the crowd of admirals and generals.

“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 force. Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” he told the military leaders Tuesday morning.

“Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country [and] in the world,” he added. “It’s a bad look. It is bad, and it’s not who we are.”

“No more beards, long hair, superficial, individual expression. We’re going to cut our hair, shape up, shave our beards and adhere to standards, because it’s like the broken windows theory of policing. It’s like, you let the small stuff go, the big stuff eventually goes,” he said. “If you want a beard, you can join special forces. If not, then shave.”

“The 1990s test is simple. What were the military standards in 1990, and if they have changed, tell me why: Was it a necessary change based on the evolving landscape of combat, or was the change due to a softening, weakening or gender-based pursuit of other priorities?” he said.

“We very much value the impact of female troops — our female officers and NCOs are the absolute best in the world. But when it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical standards must be high and gender-neutral,” he said.

“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result.”

He declared the department’s inspector general process “has been weaponized,” claiming it has put complainers and poor performers in the driver’s seat.

“I call it the ‘No More Walking on Eggshells Policy,’” Hegseth told the assembled generals and admirals. “We are liberating you.”

“No more frivolous complaints, no more anonymous complaints, no more repeat complaints, no more [ruined] reputations, no more endless waiting, no more legal limbo, no more sidetracking careers or walking on eggshells,” Hegseth said.

He stressed that racism and sexual harassment are “wrong and illegal,” and that those kinds of infractions will still be enforced, “but telling someone to shave or get a haircut or get a shave or fix their uniform or show up on time or to work hard, that’s exactly the kind of discrimination we want.”

“Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do, and if that makes me toxic, then so be it,” he said.

“Our job, my job, has been to determine which leaders simply did what they must to answer the prerogatives of civilian leadership, and which leaders are truly invested in the ‘woke’ department and therefore incapable of embracing the War Department and executive new lawful orders,” Hegseth said.

“The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can advance the right policies. But if the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” he added.

Hegseth also took a shot at several retired officers who have drawn the ire of Trump, including former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley and former U.S. Central Command head Gen. Frank McKenzie.

“The new compass heading is clear: out with the Chiarellis, the McKenzies and the Milleys, and in with the Stockdales, the Schwarzkopfs and the Pattons. More leadership changes will be made, of that I’m certain. Not because we want to, but because we must,” Hegseth said.

“To that point, basic training is being restored to what it should be: scary, tough and disciplined. We’re empowering drill sergeants to instill healthy fear in new recruits, ensuring that future war-fighters are forged,” Hegseth said during his speech.

“Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits. This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried-and-true methods to motivate new recruits to make them the warriors they need to be,” Hegseth said.

“We need to ensure that every member of our uniformed military maintains baseline proficiency and basic combat skills, especially because the next war, like the last, will likely not have a rear area,” he added Tuesday morning.

“At my direction, we are drastically reducing the ridiculous amount of mandatory training that individuals and units must execute. We’ve already ended the most egregious; now we’re giving you back real time, less PowerPoint briefings and fewer online courses, more time in the motor pool and more time on the [shooting] range.”