Bernd Debusmann JrVirginia And
James Fitzgerald
Getty imagesThe Secretary in the United States of Defense, Pete Hegseth, announced that the US military would oblige combatants to meet the “highest male norm” in physical fitness tests, recognizing that he could exclude certain women from serving.
“The standards must be uniform, neutral gender and high,” HegSeth told American Military Top Brass in an unusual address in a base near Washington DC.
Before a crowd of hundreds of military leaders, the defense secretary reiterated his vision of a “warrior philosophy” in the Pentagon, which included a test of physical condition twice a year and meeting certain size and weight requirements.
President Donald Trump also had to speak after Hegseth.
Safety is extremely tight for the top of the navy body base quantico, a sprawling installation of 55,000 acres in Virginia.
Hundreds of military leaders, including generals and admirals stationed worldwide, are present. It represents a rare gathering of so many members of the top of the staff in one place.
No official reason was provided publicly when the leaders were summoned to a short notice last week, which prompted a wave of speculation about what Trump and Hegseth would say.
The major part of Hegseth’s speech focused on the culture of the American army, training, leadership and “fixing decades of decomposition”, including Dei programs (diversity, equity and inclusion), and the promotion of an “risk” officer’s body.
He said that these officers had been upset by “climate change distractions”, “garbage woke up” and fears of being labeled as “toxic” leaders.
Our war fighters have the right to be led by the best and most competent leaders, “he added.” For too long, we just didn’t do that. “”
There was very little visible or audible reaction of assembled generals and senior enlisted personnel in the public, which was especially silent, with the exception of the noise of hundreds of boots that were expecting attention while he was riding the scene and went out. Many have taken notes in certain military notebooks while Hegseth spoke.
The exact number of participants would have been scheduled for Tuesday more than 800, including officers from military facilities in Europe, South Korea and the Middle East.
Many officers arrived a few hours before the event and were seated in the auditorium according to their service branch – Army, Marine Corps, Marine, Air Force and Space Force, easily distinct by uniforms.
Many of them wore campaign medals showing that they had served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the broader American war against terrorism that was launched after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Confirming his own attendance at the event on Sunday, Trump said that it would be “really just a very good meeting to talk about how we are doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about many good positive things”.
The president told NBC News that it would be an exercise to generate “body spirit” – suggesting that he had seen an opportunity to galvanize his troops.
In his own comments, the American vice-president JD Vance accused the media of having transformed the meeting into a “great history”, stressing that it was “not particularly unusual” so that the generals of Hegseth meet him in person.
Some observers did not agree. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, an Italian admiral who is president of the NATO military committee, was cited by the AP news agency: “Regarding my 49 years of service, I have never seen it before.”
Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Think Tank told Reuters: “It is in mystification why it was not done practically so that the superior officers do not have to spend a lot of time to travel.”
Mr. Cancanian continued by speculating that Hegseth thought that his points would have more strength if they were made in person.
During his mandate as a defense secretary, HegSeth did a large part of the need for a “pharmacy” and defended a brand change for his government division of the Ministry of Defense at the Ministry of War.
