Defense Sec. Hegseth ordered the US Military’s top uniformed bosses to a session ….The General’s where told to help the President use the nation’s soldier’s AGAINST American’s….
Make America their ‘Training Ground’?
The Trump admin seems to want to withdraw from any ANYTHING in the critical political/military worry places in Europe and Asia…
Trump, a guy who started the Afghanistan pull out, who has tried HARD to ignore the Ukraine , who does NOT see China or Russia as adversaries was up on the podium trying to sell guys on a POLITICAL campaign for HIM…
The Defense Sec., who has never seen a bottle of alcohol he didn’t like, is trying to sell a ‘Warrior ethos’ that involves National Guard troops cleaning up parks, standing around guarding buildings and using US Navy Destroyer’s to sink boats that don’t fire back…
No wonder the feedback in the media from retired and active bosses IS ‘What the Fuck???’
President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned more than 800 of the country’s top brass to a military base in Virginia on Tuesday to voice a familiar litany of culture war talking points and criticize a military that they complained had become distracted by political correctness.
The rare and highly anticipated call-up drew the country’s military commanders, who flew in from Asia, Europe and points between on short notice. The president delivered a rambling address that including familiar talking points and critiques, and also Mr. Trump’s revelation that he had told Mr. Hegseth to use American cities where he has deployed troops as “training grounds” for the military.
It was unclear why, with a shutdown of the federal government looming, Mr. Trump and his defense secretary needed to gather the country’s senior military leaders from overseas deployments to tell them face to face that they were straight out of “central casting,” as Mr. Trump characterized the gathering.
“I’m thrilled to be here this morning to address the senior leadership of what is once again known around the world as the Department of War,” Mr. Trump said. (Though Mr. Trump has renamed the department, Congress has not yet approved the change.)
Mr. Trump praised his own tariff and border policies and insulted former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Discussing his efforts to send troops to American cities, he said: “We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.”
Defense Secretary Hegseth spoke first, telling the assembled generals and admirals that he was tightening standards for fitness and grooming, cracking down even more rigorously against “woke garbage” and getting rid of attacks on “toxic” leadership that he said had gone too far.
In his address, Mr. Hegseth railed against what he called “stupid rules of engagement” that he said limited soldiers and commanders in the field. He defended his firing of more than a dozen military leaders, many of them people of color and women.
And he said that, from now on, promotions would be based on merit, complaining that, in his view, they previously were not.
“We’ve already done a lot in this area, but more changes are coming soon,” he said.
It was standard fare for Mr. Hegseth, who will undoubtedly come under criticism for the expense of flying the commanders to the Washington area as a federal shutdown looms. President Trump acknowledged the cost of the gathering as he boarded a helicopter to head to the Marine base at Quantico, where the gathering was being held.
“These are our generals, our admirals, our leaders, and it’s a good thing, a thing like this has never been done before, because they came from all over the world,” the president said. “And there’s a little bit of expense, not much, but there’s a little expense for that. We don’t like to waste it. We’d rather spend it on bullets and rockets.”
The generals and admirals assembled were mostly quiet during the remarks by Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Trump. It is tradition for the military to present a nonpartisan posture.
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In recent weeks, Mr. Trump has ordered National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles, Washington and Portland, Ore., over the objections of local political leaders, to assist immigration efforts and combat crime. He also directed the military to attack boats in the Caribbean that he said were carrying drugs to the United States, but he offered no detailed legal justification…..
Note…
Again?
Donadl J. Trump has ALWAYS sold the US Military SHORT…
Disparaging remarks about veteran McCain, Other soliders and has been trying to get the Army to flex FOR HIS political goals…..
image…More than 800 top military officials gathered in Quantico, Va., on Tuesday.Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times
This NOT gonna work Pete….
Hegseth to generals: Embrace MAGA military or quit
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday declared the U.S. military free of its “woke” shackles and presented the nation’s highest-ranking military officials an ultimatum: Don’t like it? Quit.
Why it matters: Trump 2.0 promised to overhaul the Pentagon, everything from axing old-school weapons programs to effecting a MAGA-friendly cultural reset. Both are underway.
“The new compass heading is clear,” Hegseth said, speaking to an auditorium full of generals and admirals whom he summoned to a Marine Corps base in Virginia.
“Out with the Chiarellis, the McKenzies and the Milleys, and in with the Stockdales, the Schwarzkopfs and the Pattons,” he said, dissing recent military leaders while praising past commanders….
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Between the lines: This is Hegseth’s central casting moment. Much like President Trump, he wants his team to look the part and take him seriously.