Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Declares War on 'Woke' Military Practices

In a gathering at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered what amounted to a declaration of cultural war within the U.S. armed forces.

Hundreds of generals and admirals from across the globe were summoned without knowing the purpose, only to be told in blunt terms that the era of what Hegseth called the “woke department” was over.

Hegseth introduced the name “Department of War,” a symbolic rebranding not yet approved by Congress, while lambasting what he described as toxic leadership, lowered standards, and a focus on diversity and inclusion at the expense of military readiness.

“Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading, and we lost our way,” he said. “We became the woke department, but not anymore.”

The Defense Secretary outlined 10 new directives aimed at reshaping the culture of the military, introducing a dramatic shift in standards and expectations.

Among the changes, Hegseth called for a return to the highest male standard for combat positions, insisting that women must meet the same benchmarks. He emphasized stricter physical fitness across the ranks, criticizing what he described as “fat generals and admirals” as unacceptable for military leadership.

Grooming rules will also be tightened, with shaving profiles broadly rescinded except for special operations forces. Basic training, he declared, should once again be “scary, tough and disciplined,” empowering drill sergeants to revive aggressive “shark attack” style methods to instill what he called healthy fear in new recruits.

Finally, Hegseth announced that the rules of engagement would be overhauled, promising “common sense, maximum lethality and authority for war fighters” rather than what he sees as politically correct restrictions.

“War does not care if you are a man or a woman,” Hegseth said.

Much of Hegseth’s address was directed at dismantling DEI initiatives. He described the belief that “diversity is our strength” as an “insane fallacy.” Several of the generals he has dismissed since taking office have been women or people of color, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. C.Q. Brown.

The secretary promised sweeping changes to the promotions process, pledging a “colorblind, gender-neutral, merit-based” approach while eliminating what he described as racial quotas.

Inspector general and equal opportunity rules will also be restructured, he said, to reduce what he called “frivolous complaints” that sidetrack careers.

“No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction, or gender delusions,” Hegseth declared to the assembled officers. “We are done with that.”

Check out the full speech.