Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of Defense, announced several new initiatives on Wednesday during a "State of the Force" event at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, according to The New York Times.
Hegseth spoke before several hundred junior officers and enlisted personnel. In his remarks he explicitly listed groups he said he did not welcome in the military: “No hype-pacs, no trans, no bearded weirdos, no oddballs, no wimps or radicals — just warriors,” the report quoted. The defense secretary defended previous decisions including the dismissal of several dozen generals, the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, and the elimination of diversity programs.
He also attacked the press present at the event, calling reporters “America-hating losers” and characterizing their wartime reporting as treason: “This is actually treason. It’s bad to say, but it needs to be said,” he said.
Substantive announcements
During the speech Hegseth unveiled several concrete plans:
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He announced the creation of a new “autonomous warfare command” focused on advancing artificial intelligence and drone warfare; the command would operate on an equal footing with existing geographic and functional combatant commands.
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He launched an initiative called Project Meridian, reportedly led by Elon Musk, intended to study the future of warfare and related technologies.
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He outlined plans for a new military base on U.S. soil, which he described as a "fort." Governors would be able to compete for the investment, potentially offering several hundred thousand hectares for construction. According to Hegseth, the plan would involve withdrawing tens of thousands of U.S. forces currently stationed overseas to this new base, though he did not specify which countries’ deployments would be affected.
The New York Times notes that the Pentagon has been examining changes to its overseas military posture, particularly in Europe, for months.
Political and institutional headwinds
The report also highlights constraints on Hegseth’s political room for maneuver as Defense Secretary. Several developments are complicating his position:
- An unpopular, more-than-half-year conflict with Iran has weakened support.
- He has not secured congressional approval for the Pentagon’s budget request.
- Representative Thomas Massie initiated a constitutional impeachment-like proceeding against him.
- The Army and Navy still lack Senate-confirmed leaders.
At the end of the speech, younger service members gave Hegseth a standing ovation — a contrast with last year’s event when politically neutral generals and admirals listened impassively to a defense secretary whose remarks often crossed into partisan territory.
Why this matters
The announced measures signal both structural change (a new command with a technology focus) and political realignment (personnel changes and ideological expectations). If implemented, the plan to build a large domestic facility and repatriate tens of thousands of troops would alter the global distribution of U.S. forces — but realization depends on congressional approval and agreement among senior military leadership.
The newsroom notes that an AI assistant contributed to the preparation of the article; human journalists edited and verified the final content.
