Hegseth said that the priorities he outlined will be accomplished ‘with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness.’
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has issued a statement outlining his top priorities at the helm of the Department of Defense (DOD) after being confirmed by the Senate on Friday and sworn in by Vice President JD Vance on Saturday.
“It is the privilege of a lifetime to lead the warriors of the Department of Defense,” Hegseth said in a statement issued on Jan. 25.
“We will put America First, and we will never back down.”
Hegseth offered more details about his commitment to advancing President Donald Trump’s vision of achieving peace through strength. He said he will seek to accomplish Trump’s objective in three ways—“by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.”
Hegseth said his focus on restoring the warrior ethos would involve rebuilding trust, fostering unity, and maintaining high standards.
“The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose,” he said in the statement.
Further, Hegseth pledged to strengthen the military by better aligning its capabilities with threats, revitalizing the defense industrial base, ensuring financial accountability, and quickly deploying emerging technologies to the battlefield.
“We will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world,” Hegseth said.
Finally, the defense secretary vowed to restore deterrence through a focus on bolstering homeland defense and working with allies to counter threats from adversaries.
“We will work with allies and partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by communist China, as well as supporting the President’s priority to end wars responsibly and reorient to key threats,” Hegseth said.
China was the only country Hegseth identified by name in his message, reflecting a view increasingly expressed by members of the U.S. military establishment that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing investment in capabilities and operational concepts is specifically designed to defeat the United States and its allies.
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray recently called hostile actions by the Chinese regime as “the defining threat of our generation,” warning that the margin for error in countering this threat is shrinking rapidly and needs urgent attention.
By Tom Ozimek
Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com
Secretary Hegseth’s Message to the Force
Jan. 25, 2025
It is the privilege of a lifetime to lead the warriors of the Department of Defense, under the leadership of our Commander in Chief Donald J. Trump. We will put America First, and we will never back down.
The President gave us a clear mission: achieve Peace through Strength. We will do this in three ways — by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.
∙ We will revive the warrior ethos and restore trust in our military. We are American warriors. We will defend our country. Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear. The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.
∙ We will rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities. This means reviving our defense industrial base, reforming our acquisition process, passing a financial audit, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. We will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world.
∙ We will reestablish deterrence by defending our homeland — on the ground and in the sky. We will work with allies and partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by Communist China, as well as supporting the President’s priority to end wars responsibly and reorient to key threats. We will stand by our allies — and our enemies are on notice.
All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness.
I have committed my life to warfighters and their families. Just as my fellow soldiers had my back on the battlefield, know that I will always have your back. We serve together at a dangerous time. Our enemies will neither rest nor relent. And neither will we. We will stand shoulder to shoulder to meet the urgency of this moment.
Like each of you, I love my country and swore an oath to defend the Constitution. We will do that each and every day, as one team. Together we will accomplish the President’s mission to deter war, and if necessary, defeat and destroy our enemies. Godspeed!
