Pete Hegseth – The Man For The Moment
By Russ Walker
The future Secretary of Defense will oversee an $800–$900 billion budget—the largest in the federal government by far. President Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth to be the new Secretary of Defense, a young, bold disruptor who promises to bring a fresh perspective to the role. He is highly qualified to restore pride in service, uphold the warfighter ethos, and prepare our armed forces to face 21st-century threats.
Why don’t the mainstream media and DC insiders like him?
Most Secretaries of Defense haven’t been career military. In fact, five of the last 19 Secretaries, including Dick Cheney, never served in the military at all. But what they all have in common is that they belong to the “swamp”—an elite class, deeply rooted in Ivy league institutions, DC politics, and culture. Pete Hegseth is different, and that is why they oppose him. He’s not entrenched in the military-industrial complex, the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, or DC society. His life has been dedicated to service and advocacy for the needs of service members. He cares more about the soldiers than he does the machine.
Who is Pete Hegseth?
Pete Hegseth earned a commission in the U.S. Army in 2003 and served in the Minnesota Army National Guard. As an infantry officer, he was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. During his combat tours, he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, two Bronze Stars and two Army Commendation medals. He led a platoon in combat in Iraq and came under enemy fire.
After his combat service, he returned to the United States and led two nonprofit organizations dedicated to advocating for veterans. He served as the Executive Director of Veterans for Freedom and later as the CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, where he fought to expand veterans' access to healthcare and pushed for VA reform. Later, he joined Fox News as a commentator and host.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton University, where he also played basketball, and later earned a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. After graduating, he worked at Bear Stearns as an equity capital markets analyst until he was called to active service.
The Challenge: Fixing a Broken DoD
The mission of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) is to "provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation’s security." Anything that detracts from this mission is a distraction and a waste of resources and should be eliminated from the DoD. The implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) standards, which has replaced merit-based criteria for promotions and career advancement, has weakened the military’s combat effectiveness. Over the last four years, the DoD has failed to meet enlistment goals. In response to declining retention and recruitment, the DoD has released unconventional advertisements focusing on special-interest themes, advancing DEI rather than targeting masculine themes and attracting warfighters.
Here are just a few of the failures over the past four years:
The United States abandoned allies and U.S. citizens during the poorly planned and hasty evacuation of Afghanistan.
No one in the chain of command was held accountable for the chaotic withdrawal, unconditional surrender to the Taliban, or the avoidable deaths of 13 U.S. service members.
President Biden’s impatience during the arrival ceremony for the bodies of the 13 fallen service members conveyed a message of disregard for their sacrifice.
The DoD illegally mandated an experimental COVID-19 vaccine for service members, purging those who objected or filed religious waivers.
The Biden administration’s DEI and Critical Race Theory (CRT) programs have fostered division and crushed morale within the ranks.
Restrictive rules of engagement (ROE) and the threat of prosecution make troops apprehensive and risk adverse, reducing the combat effectiveness of forces.
U.S. forces in the Red Sea, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq have faced attacks from Iranian-backed militias and Houthi forces, with minimal response from Washington.
The Pentagon has ignored warnings from junior officers and NCOs about declining standards due to forced DEI policies.
In short, we have watched as the Pentagon prioritized the interests of defense contractors, foreign nations, and special interests over the needs of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Guardians, and our national security.
Why is Pete Hegseth perfect for our time?
Unlike General Mattis and General Austin, our last two Secretaries of Defense, Pete Hegseth has the unique experience of leading U.S. soldiers in combat at the company level. He knows firsthand the sacrifices young, enlisted men and women and their families make to serve their country. Moreover, as a National Guardsman, he understands the challenges of balancing a civilian career with military service and deployments, especially the struggles spouses and children face without the support systems available to active-duty families. He has spent time working to improve the physical and mental health services for veterans advocating patient centered reforms to the VA. These perspectives are critical to improving retention and enlistment numbers.
Meanwhile, General Mattis entered service in 1969, while General Austin first entered service in 1975. Both are products of a bygone era, focused on the Cold War, U.S. dominance in world affairs, and the War on Terror. The world has changed, our needs have changed, and our force structure must change as well. There are lessons to be learned from Ukraine. For example, why are we still investing in $10 million tanks that can be destroyed by a $2,000 commercial drone modified with an anti-tank charge? Are we prepared for the next war? Why are we considering replacing military vehicles with electric vehicles? That could be disastrous on the battlefield, but in today’s special-interest-driven DoD, it somehow makes sense.
History tells us we are often prepared for the last war, not the next. Today we need a Secretary of Defense who brings fresh ideas. It’s time for the Boomers to pass the torch to the next generation. Pete Hegseth represents a new generation of warriors and knows exactly what the armed forces need to restore the warrior’s ethos, pride in service, a merit-based system, and prepare us for the threats of the future. Please join me in supporting Pete Hegseth.
Recent Secretaries of Defense and their military service:
Robert McNamara – John F. Kennedy, Lindon B. Johnson, 1961-1968, Office of Statistical Control US Air Force 1940-1946 World War 2.
Clark Clifford – Lindon B. Johnson, 1968-1969, Naval Aid to President Harry S. Truman, US Navy, 1944-1946, World War 2.
Melvin Robert Laird Jr. – Richard Nixon, 1969-1973, Lieutenant JG, US Navy, 1942-1946, World War 2, Purple Heart.
Ellie Richardson – Richard Nixon, 1973, First Lieutenant, US Army Combat Medic, 1942-1945, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, took part in the invasion of Normandy, World War 2, Purple Heart.
James R. Schlesinger – Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, 1973-1975, NO SERVICE
Donald Rumsfeld – Gerald Ford, 1975-1977, George W. Bush 2001-2006,
Aviator, Captain US Navy, 1954-1957 (active), 1957-1975 (reserve), 1975-1989 (ready reserve)
Harold Brown – Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981, Scientist, NO SERVICE
Casper Weinberger – Ronald Reagan, 1981-1987, 41st Infantry Div, Captain Intelligence Staff Douglas McArthur, US Army, 1941-1945, World War 2.
Frank Carlucci – Ronald Reagan, 1987-1989, Lieutenant, US Navy, 1952-1954
Dick Cheney – George H.W. Bush, 1989-1993, NO SERVICE
Les Aspen – Bill Clinton, 1993-1994, Captain, Systems Analyst Pentagon, US Army 1966-1968.
William Perry – Bill Clinton, 1994-1997, 2nd Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers, US Army 1945-1947 (active), 1950-1955 (reserve).
William Cohen – Bill Clinton, 1997-2001, NO SERVICE
Donald Rumsfeld – George W. Bush, (see above)
Robert Gates – George W. Bush, 2006-2009 / Barack Obama 2009-2011, 1st Lieutenant -Sponsored by the CIA, US Air Force 1967-1969
Leon Panetta – Barack Obama, 2011-2013, 1st Lieutenant, Intelligence, US Army 1964-1966
Chuck Hagel – Barack Obama, 2013-2015, SGT Infantry, US Army 1967-1968, Vietnam, two Purple Hearts, Combat Infantry Badge
Ash Carter – Barack Obama, 2015-2017, NO SERVICE
James Mattis – Donald Trump, 2017-2019, General, US Marine Corps 1969-2013, Gulf War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War.
Mark Esper – Donald Trump, 2019-2020, Lt. Colonel, Infantry, US Army 1986-2007, Gulf War
Lloyd Austin – Joe Biden, 2021-2025, General, US Army, 1975-2016, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War, Operation Inherent Resolve
Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of Russ Walker alone and do not represent those of Breaking Battlegrounds’ hosts or staff.
Woke is a cancer that should be rooted out of the military. Electric warfare vehicles? Insane.
Change is needed. Peace through strength. Good article.