At Quantico, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—calling himself “Secretary of War”—unveiled a muscular reset: tougher standards, twice-yearly fitness tests for everyone, and a strategy pivoting from China toward the Western Hemisphere and homeland defense.
Behind the applause lines, senior officers are uneasy.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a reenlistment ceremony for Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Dakota Meyer in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 17, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)
From China to the Homeland: The Pentagon Pivot Splitting America’s Top Brass
On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense and self-styled “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth summoned generals and other American military commanders from their postings around the world to a meeting in Quantico, Virginia, to lay out new priorities for standards, priorities, and much more.
However, even before that, media reports indicated that some of the military’s brass had “serious concerns” about the Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy, which is set to be rolled out in the coming weeks. The last such strategy arrived in 2022.
According to a Washington Post report released earlier this week, citing “eight current and former officials,” the new strategy will focus on reorienting the Pentagon’s priorities away from China and towards the Western Hemisphere, as well as homeland protection.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is among those expressing concerns over the new strategy, per the Post story.
Caine, per the newspaper’s sources, “gave Hegseth very frank feedback.”
“I don’t know if Hegseth even understands the magnitude of the NDS, which is why I think Caine tried so hard,” the newspaper’s source said.
Caine, another source told the Post, is trying to encourage Hegseth to focus on “preparing the military to deter and, if necessary, defeat China in a conflict.”
“A Growing Sense of Frustration”
The document has not yet been released. However, the newspaper cited some individuals associated with the editing process who “described a growing sense of frustration with a plan they consider myopic and potentially irrelevant, given the president’s highly personal and sometimes contradictory approach to foreign policy.”
While dissent often happens with such documents, the Post said, the level of concern with that document in particular has been “unusual.”
What the Plan Looks like
While the document is not final, Hegseth has indicated that the Pentagon plans to “withdraw some forces from Europe and consolidate commands in a way that unnerves some US allies, particularly amid Russia’s war with Ukraine and its recent, repeated incursions into NATO airspace.”
Therein lie some contradictions in Trump’s foreign policy and defense policies. Trump campaigned, in all of his presidential campaigns, on avoiding new foreign wars and ending existing ones.
However, Trump has bombed several countries, including Yemen and Iran, as well as boats off the coast of Venezuela. And of course, the Department of Defense has been renamed the Department of War.
“The Era of The Department of Defense is Over”
Hegseth, in his address to the generals, admirals, and other commanders in Quantico on Tuesday, declared the end of the era of the Department of Defense.
“Today is another liberation day, the liberation of America’s warriors,” Hegseth said, per Stars and Stripes. “You are not politically correct and don’t necessarily always belong in polite society. We are purpose-built.”
The secretary’s address touched on everything from a return to “male standards” in combat to the need to establish the “Warrior Ethos.” He also demanded that everyone, including the commanders themselves, take a physical fitness test twice a year, also declaring that “it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
“Political leaders set the wrong heading, and we lost our way. We became the Woke Department, but not anymore,” Hegseth told the assembled leaders.
Caine, despite the reports of disagreements with Hegseth’s approach, introduced him at the meeting.
“What a group here today,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said at the meeting, per Stars and Stripes. “I will tell you that our enemies are terrified right now that we are all in the same room.”
Hegseth delivered the speech ahead of a midnight deadline that could lead to a government shutdown, potentially resulting in delays in pay for soldiers and other government employees.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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