Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called a meeting of approximately 800 of the War Department’s flag officers and command senior enlisted advisers at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA, on Sept. 29. It was an opportunity for Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump and Hegseth to level-set expectations in a post-woke wakeup call to a new dawn of warfighting. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, in his introduction of Hegseth, referred to the gathering as the first “Key Leaders All-Call.”
There had been considerable speculation about the purpose of the short-notice meeting, since the announcement had conveyed a sense of urgency. Hegseth began his speech, “Welcome to the War Department because the era of the Department of Defense is over.” What followed was a no-nonsense, uncompromising explanation that what the military had experienced over the past several decades was over. The way Hegseth put it, “The only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: warfighting – preparing for war and preparing to win.” He made the point, “The only people who deserve peace are those who are willing to wage war to protect it.”
These were not suggestions but imperatives, as Hegseth emphasized:
“This speech is about people, and it’s about culture. The topic today is about the nature of ourselves. Because no plan, no program, no reform, no formation will ultimately succeed unless we have the right people and the right culture at the War Department. If I’ve learned one core lesson in my eight months in this job, it’s that personnel is policy.”
He explained the War Department is not looking for perfect leaders but competent ones who value training. The secretary reiterated that the commanders should strive to create a military in which they would want their children to serve. Merit is the only criterion for advancement, and high standards of performance and appearance are paramount.
The secretary said that commanders and NCOs cannot be walking around on “eggshells” for fear of meting out career-ending disciplinary action to achieve desired behavior in subordinates. “We are not civilians. You are not civilians.” The point is, if you expect to lead men and women in combat, you cannot tippy-toe around maintaining performance standards. “A risk-averse culture means officers execute not to lose instead of to win. A risk-averse culture means NCOs are not empowered to enforce standards,” Hegseth explained. Many flag officers who understood they were being called out perhaps felt uncomfortable. Unsaid was Hegseth’s message: If what I’m explaining today makes you uneasy, it may be time for you to find another position or different employment.
The speech was a tour de force in driving home the reason for the name change to the Department of War. It’s about warfighting, not peacekeeping. It’s about producing a lethal, ready force that can better any enemy military in the world. That objective demands that performance excellence and merit are the only criteria for promotions and selection for command.
The Quantico meeting was not without its critics. “Ben Hodges, formerly Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, suggested in a post on X that the upcoming military meeting at Quantico, Virginia, is comparable to when generals in Weimar Germany were summoned in order to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler over their constitution,” the Daily Caller reported. When it comes to critics of the Trump administration, few individuals are less irrelevant than retired generals.
Trump closed the meeting with his classic “weave” oratory, covering a broad range of domestic and foreign policy topics. He extolled the values of a strong War Department and said he was proud of the assembled leadership for producing the most powerful armed force in history. Trump exclaimed, “And from the cavalry that tamed the Great Plains to the ferocious, unyielding power of Patton, Bradley, and the great General Douglas MacArthur, these were all great men in this effort. We’re a team, and so my message to you is very simple. I am with you.” He called the audience “the best of the best … no enemy will stop us.”
Hegseth made an impact on his senior military leadership by addressing them personally. Flag officers must understand implicitly what their senior leaders expect. Though this was the first of such Key Leaders All-Call meetings, indications are that it won’t be the last.
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