Hegseth Named The Sole Mission Of The U.S. Department Of War

• 30.09.2025, 18:46

The Secretary of War also made remarks about "fat generals and admirals".

The U.S. Department of War (Pentagon) will be concerned only with preparing for and conducting warfare, the agency's head, Pete Hegseth, said in an address to U.S. generals and admirals at a Marine Corps base in Virginia.

"Welcome to the Department of War, because the era of the Department of Defense is over," was how the secretary began his speech.

"The sole mission of the restored Department of War is war - fighting, preparing for war and preparing to win, relentless and uncompromising," he said.

The Pentagon's renaming took place in early September. Previously, the agency was called the Department of Defense. It appeared in 1949 (in 1941, construction began on the pentagon-shaped headquarters that gave the agency its name), while the U.S. Department of War (War Department) had existed since 1789.

U.S. President Donald Trump explained that the renaming sends a message of victory and U.S. strength to enemies and allies of the United States.

Speaking to the generals, Hegseth said the Pentagon is "done" with such "junk" as "political correctness," "months of identities," "diversity, equality and inclusion," and "men in dresses."

The minister also drew attention to the need for military personnel of all ranks to be in the right physical shape. He said he doesn't want to see "fat generals and admirals" or enlisted personnel.

"If the Secretary of War can do hard physical exercise on a regular basis, so can every member of our unified command," he emphasized.

In addition, Hegseth said every service member in a combat position should score above 70 percent on the "male standard" physical fitness test for their branch of the military.