Hegseth Vows To Restore Warrior Mentality And Raise Standards In Sweeping Military Transformation

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled caller specifications astir his goals of reviving nan "warrior ethos wrong nan military" during a recent question and reply pinch Fox News.

Chatting pinch Fox News big Lara Trump for a wide-ranging chat connected his first respective months pinch nan Trump administration, Hegseth reflected connected really it was nan "honor of a lifetime" to service arsenic nan defense caput of nan United States. 

"Our committedness has been clear from nan minute, from nan first infinitesimal [of nan administration]," he said  "My View pinch Lara Trump." "Restore nan warrior ethos, rebuild our military-which President Trump did successful nan first term, and we're doing again."

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U.S. President Donald Trump holds a gathering alongside Vice President J.D. Vance successful nan Situation Room astatine nan White House successful Washington, D.C., connected June 21, 2025.  (The White House/Handout via Reuters)

Hegseth credited Trump’s activity and nan pilots of nan B-2 bombers that conducted the U.S. subject strikes connected Iranian atomic facilities backmost successful June. He praised nan mission, Operation Midnight Hammer, was 1 of nan "most superb efforts successful our subject history."

"All nan emotion and in installments spell to those successful azygous who pulled it off," Hegseth said. "But again, our commander-in-chief group nan tone, and now we've sewage a full different group of opportunities."

"Trump's instinct, astatine nan beginning, was based connected his knowing of what those weapons could do and that they were delivered decently to nan correct place. Those places were obliterated, and he was right," he added. 

Hegseth touched upon really he is making judge U.S. troops are kept to nan highest beingness standards, and nan guidance he is giving to support that promise. 

"One of nan astir basal things you tin do successful nan subject is do PT successful nan morning. And that's what we're trying to do, get backmost to basics," he said. 

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Hegseth besides stressed that beingness standards use arsenic to some men and women, and that everyone, sloppy of their identity, simply must beryllium qualified to serve. 

"Carrying a rucksack aliases carrying an artillery round; carrying your buddy crossed nan battlefield- it doesn't matter if you're a man aliases a woman," he added. "You conscionable request to beryllium capable to meet nan standard." 

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) listens arsenic US President Donald Trump addresses a property convention during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State and Government acme successful The Hague connected June 25, 2025. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Hegseth gave in installments to his family for supporting him arsenic he leads nan Pentagon. 

"It’s been a family point from nan beginning," Hegseth explained. "I couldn't do this without my wife. She's been correct location by my side-been my rock. But past also, you know, nan kids don't cognize what to deliberation of it, right? I'm conscionable dada to them." 

While Hegseth praised nan U.S. military’s efforts frankincense acold successful nan Trump administration, he insisted his ngo of instilling a semipermanent "warrior ethos" into nan statement is very overmuch still a work-in-progress.

"Driving alteration into institutions is simply a difficult point to do. The consequence of nan American people, nan contiguous consequence to recruiting-it inspires nan building," he said. "There's a ton of activity near to beryllium done to benignant of genuinely put nan ‘America First’ fingerprints stamp connected nan Defense Department. We've conscionable gotten started."

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