Pentagon Wants Only the Fittest Troops to Attend Upcoming Hegseth Speech
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The Pentagon is asking commanders to nominate troops to attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “State of the Force” address this September, and says the servicemembers must meet waist-to-height requirements and exhibit “impeccable” grooming standards.
Candidates, who will also have the opportunity to work out with the secretary, will be selected based on “demonstrated leadership quality and professional character,” according to emails reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Hegseth’s plans for the Sept. 30 event come a year after he ordered the nation’s top generals and admirals to gather for his speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he declared “ no more beardos” or “fat generals .”
Since becoming Pentagon chief last year, Hegseth has prioritized physical standards among the ranks, which he says is critical to improving the military’s ability to fight wars effectively. Some critics, however, have panned his focus as too narrow and warned against using troops to advance the administration’s political priorities.
This time, the audience will include lower-ranking officers and enlisted servicemembers, officials said. The Journal earlier reported that Hegseth was considering reupping the event.
According to an email dated Tuesday and sent to Army commanders, the Pentagon is looking for servicemembers who fit certain “physical standards,” to attend the event: passing the Army’s waist-to-height ratio and the Army fitness tests, and having “impeccable grooming and uniform standards (no exception).” Other commands throughout the military received a similar version of the message, officials said.
The document also requires that candidates be “consistently rated as top performers within their formations,” have a “clear record of integrity, discipline and selfless service,” “demonstrate strong presence, clear communication and sound judgment under pressure,” and “serve as role models for their peers and subordinates.”
A Pentagon official declined to comment.
Hegseth’s decision last fall to convene the meeting with all generals and admirals surprised senior military officers , who only later learned that it was about enforcing the “warrior ethos.” He used the event to roll out his priorities, focusing on rejecting the previous administration’s policies that he dubs “woke” and emphasizing a return to “warfighting” as the Pentagon’s sole mission .
“For too long, we have simply not done that. The military has been forced by foolish and reckless politicians to focus on the wrong things,” Hegseth said. “In many ways, this speech is about fixing decades of decay, some of it obvious, some of it hidden.”
Tags
Who is online
130 visitors
It's the state of Hegseth's woeful mind that needs to be addressed, not that of the physical readiness of the troops.
special consideration given to those with nazi, white supremacist, and/or white xtian nationalist tattoos ...
Except now in the minds of the dipshit bigot they get to deflect to a former Maine Democratic candidate that didn't actually get elected but supposedly represents all Democrats, according to those who quietly share and approve of Nazi white nationalist Christian ideology.
The US soldiers who liberated western Europe in 1944-45 came in all shapes and sizes. I dont think most of them were snappy military dressers either.
This is stupidly ridiculous. . . when does risking death ever require formal attire and a ship shape? And what about the 'fatty' that Hegseth works for. . .don't let 80 years old get a pass either.
Why are we required to deal with this sh-t in the nuclear age?
Because Hegseth is in over his head with people who have studied this stuff to death; people who know that talent, expertise and bravery comes in all sorts of packages
and that there is no bullet proof body type. It's all about appearance.
I guess there won't be too many SEALs at his party.
The man is a former military officer. Surely, this is some kind of pet peeve of his (shapes and sizes) and one that should not be used to demoralize servicemembers. . . in a weird way it is the 'nanny state' syndrome that the GOP used against a former president and his wife. Just goes to show you. . . conservatives are frauds. . . they want and do similarly as others. . .for their own select reasons. . . It is all about winning for their team. . . truth be damned!