Overview

• At Marine Corps Base Quantico, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth condemned diversity initiatives as causing 'decades of decay' and branded the Pentagon the 'Woke Department.'
• New directives include setting all fitness tests to male benchmarks, tightening grooming and appearance rules with 'no more beardos,' and changes to how adverse information is retained in personnel files.
• Hegseth said he is loosening disciplinary rules and weakening hazing protections, and he urged leaders who oppose his approach to 'do the honorable thing and resign.'
• President Donald Trump attended and praised the military’s leaders, with legal and military scholars warning his participation could blur the line between apolitical service and politics.
• The short-notice order summoning hundreds of generals and admirals drew operational and security concerns, set against recent firings of senior officers, a proposed 20% cut to flag ranks, and the move to rebrand the Pentagon as the Department of War.