By ABC News
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has slammed “fat generals” and diversity initiatives that he says has led to decades of decay in the military.
Mr Hegseth made the comments at a rare gathering of commanders on Tuesday, local time.
“Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading and we lost our way,” Mr Hegseth said as he kicked off the event in Quantico, Virginia.
“We became the ‘Woke Department’. But not anymore.”
Addressing a room full of America’s top generals, summoned from around the world without explanation last week, Mr Hegseth defended his firings of flag officers, which include the top US general, who was Black, and the Navy’s top admiral, who was a woman.
He said the officers he relieved were part of a broken culture.
He promised sweeping changes to how discrimination complaints are handled and how accusations of wrongdoing are investigated at the Pentagon, saying the current system has top brass walking on “eggshells.”
“I know the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full.”
Mr Hegseth criticised the look of overweight troops, saying: “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
He said all fitness tests would be set to male benchmarks only and emphasised the importance of grooming standards.
“The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos,” Mr Hegseth told the audience, which sat in silence.
Trump says ‘I have your backs’
President Donald Trump, as he departed for the event, told reporters on Tuesday, local time, that he would fire military leaders on the spot if he did not like them.
But he then spoke warmly of the military, in sometimes wandering remarks praising the prowess of US nuclear submarines, his creation of the US military’s Space Force and recent success in US military recruiting.
“I am with you. I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100 per cent,” Mr Trump said.
The auditorium was filled with senior uniformed officials, seated in front of a stage with a large American flag, a lectern and boards that read: “Strength. Service. America.”
Revamp of defence priorities?
The Pentagon has undergone eight months of blistering changes since Mr Trump took office, including firings, banning books from academy libraries and ordering lethal strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela.
Earlier this month, Mr Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War,” reverting to a title it held until after World War Two when officials sought to emphasise the Pentagon’s role in preventing conflict.
Military leaders attending the gathering will be under public scrutiny for any reaction to overtly political comments made by Mr Trump, who has often dragged the military into political issues.
The US military is meant to be apolitical, loyal to the US Constitution and independent of any party or political movement.
The administration has announced a plan to send National Guard deployments to Chicago, the latest US city where Mr Trump aims to deploy troops despite objections from local authorities.
Mr Trump announced plans to send National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, over the weekend and sent guard and active-duty marines to Los Angeles earlier this year, despite protests from local officials.
