Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth’s message to the US Armed Forces was short – just about 330 words. However, its intent and importance could not have been clearer. America’s military personnel will be warriors again, keenly focused on the threats we face and unfailing in the pursuit of the “Peace through Strength” mission President Donald Trump has stressed for the nation. Hegseth’s words were categorical – not elegant, but clear in meaning.
Hegseth Was Unequivocal in His Message
During Secretary Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, he was unequivocal in portraying precisely what he was about and what he intended to bring to the Pentagon – a renewed warfighter spirit with lethality and readiness. The new secretary made his case for a more capable military in just three bullet points.
- “We will revive the warrior ethos and restore trust in our military. We are American warriors. We will defend our country. Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear. The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.
- “We will rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities. This means reviving our defense industrial base, reforming our acquisition process, passing a financial audit, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. We will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world.
- “We will reestablish deterrence by defending our homeland — on the ground and in the sky. We will work with allies and partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by Communist China, as well as supporting the President’s priority to end wars responsibly and reorient to key threats. We will stand by our allies — and our enemies are on notice.”
Hegseth underscores these statements of intent with the new direction for the Defense Department. “All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness,” the new defense secretary warned.
Three themes stand out that make this message to America’s defenders significant and refreshing. First, Hegseth acknowledges the current military has lost the trust of the citizens it is charged with defending. Consistent failure on the part of the military services to maintain standards; motivate the brightest, most capable recruits; and project strength is ample evidence to conclude there is waning confidence in America’s ability to confront and defeat an enemy.
Second, to regain that trust, Hegseth explains, “We will rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities.” Not to be too far down in the weeds, but the order in which he places threats and capabilities is significant. For too long, the Defense Department has emphasized developing capabilities and exquisitely designed weapon systems, assuming whatever future threats emerge will be addressed. This approach leads to inefficiencies in acquiring lethal capability based on “Because we can, we should. Because we should, we will.” Somewhere in that thinking, the concept of “threat-based” planning, programming, budgeting, and execution is lost. Without a well-defined baseline threat, the potential for under or over-estimating an enemy’s capability poses a problem.
Hegseth has it right. Identify and understand the threat enemy capabilities pose, then develop the required capabilities to meet and defeat that threat. That requires, as Hegseth points out, having a revived defense industrial base, an efficient, effective acquisition system, a financially responsible budgeting process, and the ability to rapidly provide warfighters with winning technologies.
Lastly, Secretary of Defense Hegseth is not equivocal about the threat America faces. The Indo-Pacific is the region, and Communist China is the threat. It’s not a “pacing challenge,” as the previous administration liked to weasel-word the menace China represents. Knowing the enemy and what it is about is critical to deterring and defeating that adversary. The new SECDEF did not mention Russia, Iran, or North Korea, but he emphasized the major economic and military threat America faces from the People’s Republic of China.
Hegseth, as expected, will encounter critics and naysayers. Typical of what he can expect is a piece in The New York Times titled “Hegseth’s Views May Clash With Reality at the Pentagon.” The authors assert: “His view that the military has diminished its standards in welcoming women and racial minorities might run into resistance as he takes the reins at the Pentagon, which sees its diversity as an asset and has tried to build a force that mirrors America.” This belief is, of course, false. When diversity is prioritized above merit, performance, and competence, it is toxic to the readiness, unity of command, and lethality. It is not an asset.
President Trump’s Unwavering Support Is Crucial
Donald Trump’s support as commander-in-chief will fortify the incoming SECDEF’s vision for America’s military. “President-elect Donald Trump doubled down on his support of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth on Friday as the media campaign against the former Fox News host appears to be losing momentum,” the Daily Caller reported amid a contentious confirmation process that attempted to derail Hegseth.
Furthermore, as President Trump’s executive orders take a firm hold, the diversity, equity, and inclusion poisonous policies of the past will not exist. Consequently, there will be a new reality for Secretary Hegseth to embrace. Unquestionably, leading and managing the national security aspirations of the United States and inspiring nearly three million service members is a daunting undertaking. Having a commonsense, firm, clear-eyed, and unambiguous warrior-focused vision for the US Armed Forces level sets expectations. As Hegseth declared, “…our enemies are on notice.”
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