By Ryan Morgan
Contributing Writer
QUANTICO, Va. — President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday addressed a gathering of hundreds of generals, admirals and senior enlisted troops at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, to outline their efforts to reshape the military and reform its policies.
During his remarks, Trump highlighted improved recruiting and retention figures, increased defense spending, and plans to develop new weapons systems and capabilities, including the F-47 stealth fighter and an overhauled missile defense network.
“We’re investing tens of billions of dollars in modernizing our nuclear deterrence capabilities like never before, and we’ve begun construction on what we call the ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense shield,” Trump said. “It would be the most sophisticated in the world.”
Trump also announced that the U.S. Navy intends to build 19 new warships in the coming year.
Trump touted his administration’s use of troop mobilizations to guard federal facilities in Los Angeles and to assist in addressing crime in Washington. He also discussed plans for additional deployments in cities such as Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
“It’s really a very important mission,” the president said. “And I told [Hegseth], we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military, National Guard, because we’re going into Chicago very soon.”
The Quantico meeting is part of a broader trend of cultural, policy and leadership changes across the military. The administration recently rebranded the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
“In the coming months, we’ll be making even more historic announcements to fully embrace the identity of the Department of War,” Trump said. “I love the name. I think it’s so great. I think it stops the wars. The Department of War is going to stop the wars.”
The president’s remarks followed an address in which Hegseth emphasized a shift in military culture that eschews declining fitness and grooming standards, as well as so-called woke cultural agendas.
“The new War Department golden rule is this: Do unto your unit as you would have done unto your own child’s unit,” Hegseth told the military leaders.
“Would you want him serving with fat or unfit or under-trained troops, or alongside people who can’t meet basic standards, or in a unit where standards were lowered so certain types of troops could make it in, in a unit where leaders were promoted for reasons other than merit, performance, and war-fighting? The answer is not just no, it’s hell no.”
Hegseth announced that he has directed that all troops in combat roles will have to meet the highest male standards.
He also said that the Department of War will no longer make exceptions to grooming standards across the military branches, such as by allowing troops to wear beards.
“When you let the small stuff go, the big stuff eventually goes,” Hegseth said. “So you have to address the small stuff. This is on duty in the field and in the rear. If you want a beard, you can join Special Forces. If not, then shave.”
During his remarks on Tuesday, Hegseth further announced plans to reform the department’s inspector general and equal opportunity policies, shifting to what he called a “no-more-walking-on-eggshells” policy.
Joseph Lord and Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.