Hegseth vows to shrink the Pentagon — and then announces plans to grow it
The Defense secretary announced several major initiatives that appear to contradict his efforts to cut the department’s bloat.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a "State of the Force" speech at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, outlining both cuts to the Pentagon's bureaucracy and new initiatives designed to expand its budget. Initially, his speech seemed to follow past themes, including new grooming and fitness standards, and plans to eliminate "fat generals and admirals."
Hegseth also mentioned a goal to monitor testosterone levels and cut 20% of the military's top officers, particularly those he deemed "too woke" for their roles. However, Hegseth swiftly pivoted, announcing several initiatives that would likely increase the Pentagon's budget. These included a combatant command for drones, a commission led by SpaceX founder Elon Musk and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and a new military base that governors could compete to establish in their states.
Hegseth claimed the moves were in opposition to his efforts to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and reduce the military's top-heavy structure. He emphasized the ongoing "war of attrition" against the Pentagon bureaucracy and pledged to win it. By the end of his 52-minute speech, Hegseth had proposed a new commission, Project Meridian, led by Musk and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, along with Gingrich.
This commission would spend 120 days studying the future of warfare, focusing on identifying the domains and capabilities the military must conquer and master. Additionally, Hegseth established a new four-star command, AutoWarCom, dedicated to drone warfare, an area where the U.S. has fallen behind. In a memo released after his speech, the Pentagon clarified that it would work with Congress to create the command by October 1, 2027, which would have to fit into the next defense budget request.
The new initiatives reflected Hegseth's style, with the Pentagon chief praising the initiatives as part of a broader effort to equip the military with a "full armor of God," underscoring the spiritual battle alongside the physical one. However, his speech drew skepticism from some Pentagon officials and critics who viewed his proposals as outdated and more in line with Obama-era strategies to outpace Russia and China through advanced technology.
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