Not long after the defense secretary gathered all the military's top commanders to a base in Virginia in an unusual order for an live gathering, a retired military leader shared on social media to recall a historical situation. "In the summer of 1935," the former general remarked, "German generals were called to a unexpected gathering in Berlin and notified that their former vow to the Weimar constitution was void and that they would be compelled to swear a personal oath to the leader. Most generals accepted the pledge to maintain their roles." The Pentagon chief's social media answered to the message: "Interesting tale, General."
The Gathering and Its Content
Yet when the meeting finally happened on the scheduled day, the military leaders and naval officers were subjected to a three-quarter-hour talk by the Pentagon head, after which was a rambling, lengthy address by the president, which supported at least part of what the former officer seemed to anticipate. The Pentagon chief stressed the army's appearance, criticizing "fat troops" and "out-of-shape leaders in the corridors of the military building", and showed his plan to reshape the army's environment so as to remove "social awareness" and encourage a more masculine image. "Stop identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses," he stated. "No more separation, diversion and sex misconceptions. End of rubbish. As I've said before, and will repeat: We are finished. With that. Rubbish." The military, the secretary hinted, would become an promotion for the regime's preferred societal model, and this change will clearly involve significant alterations to what the troops seem when they are captured on camera.
Procedural Changes
To this end, the defense secretary declared that he would also be eliminating or severely limiting the non-discrimination, reporter, oversight office and grievance processes that allow military personnel to report mistreatment and impropriety. The modifications seemed intended to notably undo measures undertaken over the course of the 2010s to reduce sexual assault in the military and stop unchecked behavior.
"Stop unfounded reports, end of repeat complaints, end of secret accusations, end of damaging credibility," the secretary stated. "No more walking on eggshells." One past employee, speaking on the promise of non-disclosure, noted: "From my perspective what this is, is individuals are exhausted of not being able to make offensive or sexually explicit remarks at the staff meetings." The Pentagon head, it looks, is devoted to reinstating this treasured freedom.
Diversity and Inclusion Adjustments
The chief also stated that he would be modifying rules that have allowed the military to be more inclusive – such as ending special permissions for personnel to maintain beards, commonly adopted by minority service members, and elevating physical fitness standards for specific, often high-pay and elite fighting jobs to what the chief seemed to consider is a standard only men will attain. The chief, who has objected to women serving in combat roles, commented that candidates for such positions will be measured against the "top male benchmark", which he also said as "impartial". "If that means zero females are eligible for particular fighting positions, it is what it is," the chief declared. "That is not the goal," he continued, questionably. "Yet, it might be the consequence."
Speech to Leaders
As for the leaders present, a gathering which comprised several Black men and multi-ethnic women, the secretary seemed to provide what he clearly thought was a flattering appraisal of their aggressive nature and virility. "You kill people and destroy objects for a career," the chief said to the present leaders. "You do not become socially sensitive and might not be suited always in polite society." The talk was repetitive and full of moments of aware macho posturing. "For our adversaries," the secretary said at one point "Mess around and discover." The Pentagon head halted, looking for applause, but there was no response.
Presidential Address
Trump, at the same time, also signaled that he aims to change the military into a ideological device of his regime, again and again telling the assembled leaders that they would be tasked with tasks aimed at the populace. "The nation is being attacked from internally," the leader remarked. "Our nation is infiltrated from inside. No different than a external foe, but more difficult in numerous aspects because they are not in uniform. If nothing else when they're in uniform you can take them out. It's war from internally." The president, who just days ago sent 200 state military to Portland, Oregon, with directives to use "maximum power, if needed" suggested that he had ordered the defense secretary to use U.S. urban areas as "preparation areas".
On other occasions, the president meandered, as he typically behaves, into improvised remarks that were difficult to parse. "However, they will not block in our way, any longer," the president declared. "You're not going to see four years like we had with the previous administration and that collection of ineffective personnel that ran that ought not to have been in place. Because we have the American armed forces, the finest, the bravest, the most valiant, that the globe has ever witnessed, that the world has ever known."
Listener Feedback
The president, like the secretary, sometimes hesitated, seeming to expect the officers to clap or chuckle. But the laughs were missing; the military audience was largely silent.
Evaluation and Ramifications
There exists a sense of pathetic about the secretary and the leader, who have conspired and not succeeded their way into {positions of power|roles of
