Part 8/10:
He announced plans to overhaul standards—such as pegging fitness tests strictly to male standards and tightening grooming and discipline—and warned leaders to resign if they oppose these reforms. Hegsath also emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards for women in combat roles, advocating for gender-neutral benchmarks that focus solely on capability rather than policy-driven quotas.
Former President Trump added his voice during the same event, vowing to support a militarized Department of War (a symbolic rebranding he argued would restore traditional strength), promising increased defense spending and a return to a more aggressive stance in global deterrence.