US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will gather generals and admirals in Virginia to discuss ‘warrior ethos’ and a new defense strategy.
Hegseth to convene military leaders in Virginia to discuss ‘warrior ethos’
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will convene generals and admirals from around the world in Virginia next week. The event, to be held at Marine Corps University in Quantico, will be one of the few occasions when commanders commanding forces from South Korea to the Middle East will gather in one place.
The official topic and the hidden issues
The meeting is formally dedicated to ‘warrior ethos’, a concept that Hegseth promotes in every speech, demanding a tough fighting culture from the military. At the same time, officials acknowledge that other issues could be on the agenda. Among them are a new national defense strategy and the possible reduction of senior military positions.
An atmosphere of surprise
One official said that the concentration of senior officials “could be a surprise.” “We are not letting our guard down,” he added. Some expect Hegseth to use the occasion to make personnel signals or clarify the course he has taken since taking office.
Transforming the Pentagon
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has quickly changed the rules of the game at the defense department. He has removed a number of generals and admirals in an effort to implement Donald Trump’s national security strategy and eliminate diversity programs he calls discriminatory.
Historical Accent
The meeting comes shortly after President Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the “War Department,” the name it bore until the end of World War II. The symbolic move underscores the administration’s shift toward a tougher, more openly militarized approach to U.S. defense policy.
