QUANTICO, Va.—About 730 U.S. navy generals, admirals, and senior enlisted troops attended a historic gathering at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Sept. 30 to listen to President Donald Trump and Secretary of Battle Pete Hegseth convey a shift in navy tradition below Trump’s management.
All through their remarks, Trump and Hegseth emphasised a want to eliminate the “woke” social and cultural tendencies of current years, criticized the path of the navy below earlier leaders, and invited these in attendance who disagreed to make their objections identified and resign.
Listed below are 5 key factors from Trump’s and Hegseth’s remarks.
Warrior Emphasis
The gathering of navy leaders comes simply weeks after the Trump administration rebranded the Division of Protection because the Division of Battle. Of their addresses, Trump and Hegseth each referred to the renaming as a sign of a cultural shift within the navy.
“From this second ahead, the one mission of the newly restored Division of Battle is that this: warfighting, getting ready for battle, and getting ready to win,” Hegseth mentioned.
Hegseth mentioned the emphasis on battle doesn’t come from a want for extra battle, however from the conclusion that energy can deter battle within the first place.
“One other method to put it’s: peace by way of energy, dropped at you by the warrior ethos,” Hegseth mentioned. “And we’re restoring each.”
In his remarks, Trump touted the brand new division title and vowed additional steps to strengthen the rebranded identification of the division.
“I really like the title. I feel it’s so nice. I feel it stops wars. The Division of Battle goes to cease wars, if we’re as ruthless and relentless as our enemies,” the president mentioned.
Trump and Hegseth each highlighted optimistic navy recruiting and retention tendencies in current months, attributing them to their efforts to strengthen the forces.
“The harder and the upper the requirements in our items, the upper the retention charges in these items. Warriors need to be challenged. Troops need to be examined,” Hegseth mentioned.
At one level in his speech, Trump touted his dedication to spending greater than $1 trillion on navy and protection gadgets in fiscal 12 months 2026, and plans for brand new navy programs just like the F-47 stealth fighter and the “Golden Dome” missile protection community.
Health, Grooming, and Coaching Requirements
A focus of Hegseth’s remarks centered on elevating requirements throughout the forces.
“The brand new Battle Division golden rule is that this: Do unto your unit as you’d have executed unto your individual baby’s unit,” he mentioned.
“Would you need him serving with fats or unfit or under-trained troops, or alongside individuals who can’t meet primary requirements, or in a unit the place requirements have been lowered so sure forms of troops may make it in, in a unit the place leaders have been promoted for causes apart from benefit, efficiency, and war-fighting? The reply is not only ‘No,’ it’s ‘Hell, no.’”
Hegseth mentioned every navy service has been directed to make sure that troops serving in designated fight arms positions meet the very best male health service requirements. He mentioned troops in fight arms roles would even be made to cross further area proficiency exams.
The Secretary of Battle mentioned the brand new health emphasis in fight arms roles shouldn’t be meant to maintain ladies from such fight roles.
“If ladies could make it, glorious. If not, it’s what it’s. If which means no ladies qualify for some fight jobs, so be it,” he mentioned.
Citing the core credo of the Marine Corps, “Each Marine a rifleman,” Hegseth mentioned even these troops not particularly designated for fight arms roles ought to have a baseline diploma of fight proficiency.
“The character of the evolving menace atmosphere calls for that everybody, in each job, should be prepared to hitch the battle if wanted,” he mentioned.
Amid the push for increased requirements, Hegseth additionally reiterated his concentrate on a return to strict grooming necessities.
Hegseth linked relaxed grooming requirements to a broader development of falling self-discipline in different areas of navy life, saying, “Whenever you let the small stuff go, the massive stuff ultimately goes. So, it’s a must to handle the small stuff.”
Ending ‘Woke’ Packages, Overhauling HR Practices
Throughout his speech, Hegseth mentioned that previous management of the Division of Protection had turned it into the “Woke Division” by way of range, fairness, and inclusion packages, efforts to attraction to the LGBT neighborhood, and makes an attempt to undertake electrical autos and different native carbon choices throughout the navy tools fleets.
“No extra identification months, DEI workplaces, dudes in attire. No extra local weather change worship. No extra division, distraction, or gender delusions. No extra particles,” Hegseth mentioned.
The Secretary of Battle mentioned he would subject further insurance policies to overtake the navy’s inspector common and equal alternative workplaces.
He mentioned the inspector common course of “has been weaponized” and is “placing complainers, ideologues, and poor performers within the driver’s seat.”
As for the equal alternative packages, he mentioned: “No extra frivolous complaints. No extra nameless complaints. No extra repeat complainants. No extra smearing reputations. No extra infinite ready. No extra authorized limbo. No extra sidetracking careers. No extra strolling on eggshells.”
Troop Deployments in US Cities
Trump’s remarks have been much less centered on particular new insurance policies for the navy and extra typically coated his use of U.S. troops in each overseas coverage and homeland safety selections.
In June, the president ordered the deployment of U.S. Marines and Nationwide Guard troops to protect federal property in Los Angeles, amid confrontations between federal immigration authorities and opposing demonstrators.
In August, Trump additionally ordered a deployment of Nationwide Guard troops in Washington, D.C., as a part of a broader effort to handle crime within the nation’s capital. He has since mentioned plans for extra troop deployments in Portland, Baltimore, Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans.
“The Democrats run many of the cities which can be in unhealthy form,” the president informed the gathered navy leaders.
Trump indicated he intends to proceed calling on the navy as a part of his mannequin for addressing crime in city areas.
“We’re going to straighten them out one after the other. And that is going to be a serious half for a few of the folks on this room. That’s a battle, too. It’s a battle from inside,” he mentioned.
Culling Army Management
Throughout his dialogue about elevating requirements and discontinuing sure “woke” insurance policies, Hegseth talked concerning the Trump administration’s resolution to shrink the navy management.
Hegseth mentioned that as he has thought-about current firing suggestions, he has tried to tell apart between which navy officers are merely obeying the orders of civilian leaders below prior presidencies, and which of them “are really invested within the ‘Woke Division’ and subsequently incapable of embracing the Battle Division and executing new lawful orders.”
The Secretary of Battle mentioned extra management adjustments would come.
“I look out at this group and I see nice People, leaders who’ve given a long time to our nice republic at nice sacrifice to yourselves and to your households,” he mentioned. “But when the phrases I’m talking right this moment are making your coronary heart sink, then you must do the honorable factor and resign. We might thanks in your service.”
Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
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