Hegseth Announces Series of War Department Reforms in Sweeping Speech to Top Military Brass

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth today announced a series of 10 new directives aimed at strengthening the War Department's people and culture during an in-person speech in Quantico, Virginia, to the U.S. military's most senior leaders.

The wide-ranging, 45-minute speech before nearly every O-7 and above nonstaff military officer and senior enlisted leader from the joint force covered multiple topics, including the implementation of military equal opportunity and equal employment opportunity reform; changes to grooming and fitness standards; a review of hazing, bullying and harassment definitions; a reduction in mandatory training requirements, and others.

"Good morning, and welcome to the War Department, because the Department of Defense is over," Hegseth said, noting the recent rebranding of the department emphasizes the military's requirement to ensure peace by preparing for war, and that the American people deserve a military that will win any war it chooses or that's thrust upon it.

"The topic today is about the nature of ourselves; because no plan, no program, no reform [and] no formation will ultimately succeed unless we have the right people and the right culture at the Department of War," Hegseth told the group.

He added that, in his eight months on the job, he has learned the best way to take care of troops is to give them good leaders committed to the War Department's warfighting culture.

"Not perfect leaders [but] good leaders; competent, qualified, professional, agile, aggressive, innovative, risk taking, apolitical [and] faithful to their oath and to the Constitution," Hegseth emphasized.

Stating that the military has been forced to focus on the wrong things by misguided politicians for too long, Hegseth said that he's made it his own mission to uproot the obvious distractions that have made the War Department less lethal in past years.

"The new War Department's golden rule is this: do unto your unit as you would have done unto your own child's unit. … Standards must be uniform, gender-neutral and high. If not, they aren't standards, they're just suggestions," Hegseth said.

He then began announcing some of the new directives the War Department will begin implementing, starting with changes to fitness standards.

The secretary announced that active component service members from all branches now must execute two annual fitness tests, with one being the already existing fitness test and the other being either a combat field test for combat arms personnel or a CFT or regular fitness test for non-combat arms personnel.

He also announced that active-duty service members are to perform physical fitness training every duty day, and that National Guard and reserve component members must continue to take at least one fitness test annually.

Additionally, Hegseth said that warfighters in combat-related occupations must execute their fitness test at a gender-neutral male standard with a score of 70% or higher.

"It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the secretary of war can do regular, hard [physical training], so can every member of our joint force," Hegseth said.

Moving next to grooming standards, Hegseth announced that beards will no longer be authorized.

A memo on that topic released in conjunction with Hegseth's speech explains that service members with facial hair-related medical exemptions will have one year to seek and execute a medical treatment plan to resolve the condition.

"Simply put, if you do not meet the male-level, physical standards for combat positions, cannot pass a PT test or don't want to shave and look professional, it's time for a new position or a new profession," Hegseth said.

He next announced that the War Department will begin undertaking a full review of the definitions of "so-called 'toxic leadership,' bullying and hazing," in order to re-empower leaders to enforce high standards without fear of reprisal.

"Leading warfighters toward the goals of high, gender-neutral and uncompromising standards in order to forge a cohesive, formidable and lethal Department of War is not toxic," Hegseth said, adding that actual toxic leadership entails endangering subordinates with low standards, among other definitions.

Hegseth also announced the implementation of a military equal opportunity and equal employment opportunity reform, also intended to re-empower leaders to pursue high standards without fear of potentially unjust reprisal.

"We are attacking and ending the 'walking on eggshells' and zero-defect command culture. A risk-averse culture means officers execute not to lose, instead of to win," he said, adding the same goes for risk-averse noncommissioned officers who are afraid to enforce high standards.

"We are liberating an inspector general process - the 'IG' - that has been weaponized, putting complainers, idealogues and poor performers in the driver's seat," Hegseth said, adding that being a racist or sexual harasser is wrong and illegal, and that punishment for such actual infractions will be "ruthlessly enforced."

Hegseth then announced that the War Department will be making changes to the retention of adverse information on personnel that will allow leaders with forgivable, earnest or minor infractions to not be encumbered by those infractions in perpetuity.

He also said that promotions across the joint force should be based only on merit.

"We'll promote top performing officers and send those faster [while getting] rid of poor performers more quickly. Evaluations, education and field exercises will become real," Hegseth said.

He also announced a reduction in the high level of mandatory training that service members have to take annually.

"Less PowerPoint reviewer online courses, more time in the motor pool and more time on the [shooting] range," he said.

The secretary told the assembled leaders that all 10 of the directives the War Department was rolling out are designed to empower them.

"These directives are designed to take the monkey off your back and put you, the leadership, back in the driver's seat," Hegseth told the group.

"Move out with urgency, because we have your back, I have your back and the commander in chief has your back," he said.

Hegseth's remarks were followed by remarks from President Donald J. Trump.