Hegseth orders troops to observe his speech decrying a ‘woke’ army : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7055x4704+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd6%2Fff%2F5a97dd9e44dd975cfe11f851d398%2Fgettyimages-2238294677.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7055x4704+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd6%2Fff%2F5a97dd9e44dd975cfe11f851d398%2Fgettyimages-2238294677.jpg" class="img" alt="Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30, in Quantico, Va. In an unprecedented gathering, almost 800 generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders have been ordered into one location from around the world on short notice." fetchpriority="high"/> Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to senior army leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30, in Quantico, Va. In an unprecedented gathering, virtually 800 generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders have been ordered into one location from around the globe on quick discover. Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs disguise caption

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Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth is ordering troops to observe or learn his speech final month at Quantico, Va., when he declared the "woke" army is gone, decried "fats generals" and ordered girls within the army to satisfy the "highest male requirements" for bodily health.

The memo, obtained by NPR, requires servicemembers to finish the "Warrior Ethos Tasking," which features a hyperlink to the video and up to date coverage memorandums, by the tip of the month. The coverage memorandums lay out intimately his plans to boost bodily health, grooming requirements and army readiness.

The memo states, "All commanders should doc the completion of the Warrior Ethos Tasking in a Memorandum for Report."

When requested for remark, a Protection Division official, not licensed to talk publicly, mentioned by e-mail, "The Secretary's speech was for the entire pressure and this memo simply reinforces that steerage."

Hegseth spoke on Sept. 30 to a whole lot of generals and admirals who had been ordered from instructions all around the globe to an auditorium at Marine Base Quantico.

'Period of Protection Division is over' Strolling forwards and backwards on a stage, with a large American flag as a backdrop, Hegseth declared, "Immediately we finish the battle on warriors." He mentioned "the period of the Protection Division is over," mentioned the brand new title would be the Division of Warfare, and indicated the Pentagon would shift to a extra aggressive tradition.

Hegseth, a 45-year-old Military Nationwide Guard veteran and former Fox Information host, mentioned the U.S. army has promoted too many leaders for the mistaken causes based mostly on race, gender quotas and "historic firsts."

"Frankly, it is tiring to look out at fight formations, or actually any formation, and see fats troops. Likewise, it is utterly unacceptable to see fats generals and admirals within the halls of the Pentagon," Hegseth mentioned.

"Immediately is one other liberation day, the liberation of America's warriors," Hegseth mentioned. "You aren't politically right and do not essentially at all times belong in well mannered society. We're goal constructed."

The generals and admirals all sat stone-faced as Hegseth spoke. After which they continued that stoical stance when President Trump then addressed them.

"I by no means walked right into a room so silent earlier than," Trump mentioned. "If you wish to applaud, you applaud. You are able to do something you need."

However a supply not licensed to talk publicly tells NPR that earlier than each speeches, and earlier than the cameras had been turned on, Joint Chiefs Chairman Basic Dan Caine instructed the assembled officers they had been to deal with the speeches as in the event that they had been on the State of the Union, the place the Joint Chiefs additionally present no emotion, holding with the army's conventional nonpartisan place.