Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed approximately 800 generals and admirals at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025, emphasizing a shift to warfighting priorities and homeland defense in a new National Defense Strategy. According to a video post on X, Hegseth told the assembled officers, “Prepare for war. Not because we want war. Because we want peace.” He added, “The only people who deserve peace are those who are willing to wage war to defend it. That’s why pacifism is so naive and dangerous… either you protect your people and sovereignty or you will be subservient to something or someone.”
“Today is another liberation day, the liberation of America’s warriors,” Hegseth said. “You are not politically correct and don’t necessarily always belong in polite society. We are purpose built.”
In a rare, short-notice briefing without recent precedent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned hundreds of senior officers from around the globe to a packed auditorium at the Virginia base. According to Stars and Stripes, Hegseth, who has rebranded the Pentagon as the War Department, declared the era of passive defense over and warned that any adversary “foolish enough to challenge us will be crushed by the violence, precision and ferocity of the War Department.”
President Donald Trump, not involved in the event’s initial planning, chose to speak after Hegseth, underscoring the White House’s direct role in shaping military culture and policy. He praised physical fitness, moral character and strength as essential deterrents.
The gathering coincides with revisions to the National Defense Strategy, the quadrennial blueprint guiding spending and operations. According to the Wall Street Journal, the draft refocuses on securing the Western Hemisphere—a response to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and surges of illegal immigration. It also emphasizes deterring China’s threats to Taiwan and urges European allies to bolster their NATO commitments against potential Russian aggression.
Domestically, deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities has reignited debate over military involvement in law enforcement. Abroad, lawmakers and legal experts question the Pentagon’s expanding Caribbean operations, including airstrikes on suspected drug smugglers at sea. According to administration officials, the U.S. plans to send additional forces to Puerto Rico and is weighing land strikes in the region.
A former Army National Guard major and Fox News host, Hegseth used the session to denounce diversity programs and pledge a return to a “warrior ethos.” Nevertheless, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a Trump appointee, remains the principal adviser on key operations—from June’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities to Caribbean missions.
Tension has grown over his abrupt firing of senior officers and his vow to cut the number of four-star generals by roughly 20 percent. Some Capitol Hill critics, including Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, have called for his removal. For now, however, Hegseth’s loyalty to the president appears to secure his standing atop the War Department hierarchy.
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