Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced his intention to “restore the warrior ethos” on Saturday in an open letter to the 1.3 million active-duty members of the United States Military.
“It is the privilege of a lifetime to lead the warriors of the Department of Defense, under the leadership of our Commander in Chief Donald J. Trump. We will put America First, and we will never back down,” Hegseth wrote.
Late Friday night, Hegseth narrowly squeaked by to secure the post after three Republicans voted "no." GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted against their party in siding with the Democrats to oppose Hegseth. Vice President J.D. Vance was needed to serve as the tie-breaker vote.
“The President gave us a clear mission: achieve Peace through Strength. We will do this in three ways - by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence,” Hegseth continued.
Hegseth has drawn both praise and criticism for his non-traditional background and has openly challenged the “woke” movement the military has undergone over the past decade. “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,” he continued.
Seeking to reestablish the military as ready for the wars of the future, Hegseth promised to “rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities, adding, “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."
Without citing former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal of Afghanistan specifically, Hegseth noted Trump’s intention of “ending wars responsibly and reorient key threats.”
Hegseth concluded by reaffirming his love for the country and his oath to defend the Constitution writing, “Together we will accomplish the President’s mission to deter war, and if necessary, defeat and destroy our enemies. Godspeed!”
