This morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth lit a fire under America's flag officers at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA. He ordered a return to core military values: warfighting, readiness, physical fitness, and discipline. The mission is clear: "win wars, not woke points." 

But this crusade didn't begin in Washington.

In 1999, Colonel Bill Wenger, a frequent contributor to these pages, and I fought this battle in the California Army National Guard, with the help of Senior Townhall Columnist Kurt Schlichter, then a Guard Major and super-lawyer. Our war wasn't against foreign enemies, but against corruption, careerism, and moral decay within the California Guard's headquarters. We were recruited by the late Major General Paul Monroe to enact reforms. Unfortunately, Monroe immediately abandoned the effort in favor of the status quo. We saw firsthand what happens when a military organization forgets it's supposed to fight, and we tried to stop it.

Wenger's strategic plan for the Guard was bold, aggressive, and long overdue. Called "Reforming the California National Guard for the 21st Century," Wenger's plan aimed to bring back lethality, realistic training, accountability, and an unapologetic warrior ethos. We weren't interested in making the headquarters a safe space. We wanted it to be a launching pad for decisive, ethical leadership.

Sound familiar?

Hegseth's macro-level push for physical standards, apolitical leadership, and readiness mirrors what we tried to do at the micro-level in Sacramento. The difference? Hegseth has the presidential backing to make it stick. We had a disinterested Governor and Adjutant General.

Secretary Hegseth reasserted civilian control of the military by summoning all flag officers and reminding them that the armed forces serve the Constitutional Republic, not a bureaucracy,  or whatever is trending on social media.

Wenger held a "town hall meeting" with all Army Guard personnel. By the time we arrived at this meeting, after days of insubordination, Wenger's patience threshold had been exceeded. He articulated his command philosophy forcefully and said, "This train is leaving the station. You can get on it or pack your bags and get out." When Mr. Hegseth speaks candidly and directly, the message is clear, and people get to work. When Wenger delivers a message, it is a different experience. His calm demeanor, MENSA-level IQ, and tone are terrifying. Feelings were hurt, and bureaucrats-in-uniform complained to Monroe. Immediately after, a female Colonel asked for my candor regarding the complaints. I said, "This is the Army. Do your job well, and start saying yes to soldiers."

At the macro level, Mr. Hegseth fights the "Beltway Class." At the micro-level, we fought "the headquarters class." Both classes are overly bureaucratic, risk-averse, and professionally inadequate; hence, they are unsuited to complex military tasks. At our level, the senior leadership preferred compliant, sycophantic officers who were fatally dependent on the protective clique of the headquarters, which promoted them.

The California National Guard operated through a patronage system. Promotions, commands, and schools were tools for rewarding friends and punishing outsiders and enemies. The practice frequently led to unqualified individuals in critical positions, leading to inefficiency, corruption, and ultimately to deaths in combat. This practice contributed to casualty rates and the relief of two California Battalion Commanders by their Active Army Commanders in Iraq. The California Guard's spoils system prioritized political reward over merit, undermining the effectiveness and integrity of military service.

The California story is a cautionary tale. Despite clear vision and leadership, the headquarters class struck back and won. Wenger was denied promotion and eventually retired, not for misconduct, but for doing what was right. The bureaucrats who undermined him were promoted. Justice never came.

This is why Mr. Hegseth's efforts matter. He's calling out the rot publicly, with the power to fix it. He'll need help from commanders willing to be unpopular, demand standards, and lead with moral clarity. Along the way, everyone will make mistakes. You have to be willing to make mistakes to reform an organization. It is critical to delineate between mistakes and a conscious decision to do the wrong thing. Mr. Hegseth has demonstrated his willingness to make those calls.

The lesson from California is simple: Reform takes courage and comes with a cost. But the price of silence is greater. A military without a warrior ethos is just another government agency, one that bleeds lives and loses wars.

Let's hope the reformers win this time.

Editor's Note: Thanks to President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, the warrior ethos is coming back to America's military.

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