'Prepare for WAR': Pete Hegseth gives unprecedented speech to top generals
By ELINA SHIRAZI,
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth today warned a large crowd of top generals and admirals to 'prepare for war'.
Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Hegseth said that America's enemies would 'FAFO', which stands for 'f*** around and find out,' if they chose to challenge its military might.
‘From this moment forward the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: war fighting, preparing for war and preparing to win,’ Hegseth continued, saying, however, that they do not wish for war, touting their ‘strength through peace’ motto.
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Hegseth continued the speech at the podium by saying that today's speech is about 'people' and 'culture.'
Hegseth also said he would give another speech next month.
The secretive session has drawn concerns that pulling officers to one meeting could make the US vulnerable to a security threat.
'I think it is very concerning that you are pulling every single general and flag officer back to Quantico… that is a lot of people to pull from their duty stations,' a former defense official said. 'It would be very rare to have the combatant and deputy commander come into town and leave your station to be in town.'
A source close to Hegseth argued the Pentagon has taken safety precautions into account to ensure that their operations, like military bases, were not compromised.
'We hand–picked who would be in attendance, but nobody is reporting that,' the source close to Hegseth explained.
The order, first reported by the Washington Post, was sent to all of the military’s top leadership worldwide earlier this week.
It comes months after Hegseth’s Pentagon staff reported plans to slash the US military’s senior ranks, cutting jobs held by about 100 admirals and generals.
Hegseth called that move necessary to cut ‘redundant force structure’ and continue streamlining the Pentagon’s ‘red-tape jungle.’
'I think it is very concerning that you are pulling every single general and flag officer back to Quantico… that is a lot of people to pull from their duty stations,' the former defense official said. 'It would be very rare to have the combatant and deputy commander come into town and leave your station to be in town'
A source close to Hegseth argued the Pentagon has taken safety precautions into account to ensure that their operations, like military bases, were not compromised
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Roughly 800 generals and admirals are stationed across the US and around the world, spanning numerous countries and time-zones
The secretive session has drawn concerns that pulling officers to one meeting could make the US vulnerable to a security threat
The new directive comes after several significant changes Hegseth implemented, as he attempts to restructure the department
Roughly 800 generals and admirals are stationed across the US and around the world, spanning numerous countries and time-zones.
The new directive comes after several significant changes Hegseth implemented, as he attempts to restructure the department.
This includes removing top-level officials, renaming the Defense Department as the Department of War and slashing the number of generals by about about a quarter.
The recent dismissals are part of a continuing sweep through the upper echelons of the country’s top defense leadership.
Hegseth has frequently slammed high-ranking military officials, expressing his views in podcasts last year. He has said that about one-third of the top brass are deliberately trying to turning the military into a political tool.
This is a breaking news story that will be updated.
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