President Donald Trump announced the creation of a military quick reaction force during an unprecedented gathering of the nation's top military leaders.
Trump addressed generals and admirals at a rare in-person meeting at Quantico, Virginia, outlining plans for military involvement in addressing civil unrest in Democratic-led cities, Deutsche Welle reported.
All top brass stationed worldwide were required to attend the Tuesday session. The president characterized domestic challenges as "a war from within" that would require military intervention.
Pentagon Leadership Announces Sweeping Military Reforms
Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth spearheaded the meeting, implementing what he described as transformational changes to military culture and operations. He announced the formal renaming of the Department of Defense to the War Department as part of broader institutional restructuring.
Hegseth criticized previous promotion practices, claiming too many leaders advanced based on race and gender quotas rather than merit. He declared an end to what he termed "politically correct, overly sensitive" leadership approaches across all military levels.
The Pentagon chief delivered ultimatums to military leaders who disagreed with the new direction, suggesting they should resign if his words made their "hearts sink." He positioned the changes as necessary corrections to what he called the military's transformation into a "Woke Department."
New Standards Target Physical Fitness and Professional Appearance
Military leadership announced stricter grooming and fitness requirements for all personnel, including senior officers. Hegseth specifically criticized the physical condition of current generals and admirals, calling it "completely unacceptable" to see overweight senior leaders.
New fitness testing protocols will be implemented alongside revised appearance standards requiring all personnel to maintain clean-shaven faces unless serving in special forces. The "no more beardos" policy represents a return to traditional military grooming expectations.
Hegseth rejected what he characterized as unprofessional appearance standards that had developed under previous administrations. He emphasized that the military should not accommodate what he termed "Nordic pagans" or other non-traditional religious practices affecting appearance.
Policy Changes Address Disciplinary Rules and Personnel Records
The Pentagon announced plans to loosen anti-bullying and hazing protections currently in place across military branches. Hegseth ordered reviews of existing definitions regarding toxic leadership, bullying, and hazing to reduce what he described as leadership fears of retribution.
Current disciplinary frameworks will be modified to allow leaders greater enforcement authority without concerns about second-guessing from superiors. The changes aim to address what officials describe as excessive oversight that has hampered effective military leadership.
Personnel record retention policies will be revised to prevent minor infractions from permanently affecting career advancement opportunities. Hegseth emphasized that honest mistakes should not define entire military careers, advocating for more forgiving approaches to personnel management.
Combat Standards and Diversity Policies Face Major Revisions
Military leadership rejected previous administration policies promoting diversity as organizational strength, with Hegseth calling such approaches an "insane fallacy." The new administration plans to eliminate what officials described as excessive DEI and LGBTQ+ policy statements.
Physical standards for combat positions will be maintained at high levels regardless of gender, with officials clarifying that equal treatment does not mean identical capabilities. Women will continue serving in military roles, but must meet the same physical requirements as their male counterparts for combat positions.
The Pentagon emphasized that preventing women from serving is not the intent, but acknowledged that maintaining gender-neutral physical standards could result in fewer women qualifying for certain combat roles. Officials described this potential outcome as an acceptable consequence of maintaining military effectiveness standards.
