By Matt Schoenfeldt, retired Army officer, former Pentagon strategic planner
The Department of Defense has long been a battleground for political agendas, but under Secretary Pete Hegseth, it is undergoing a seismic shift back to its core mission: winning wars.
For 16 years, with a brief respite during President Trump’s first term, the military drifted into a laboratory for progressive priorities — diversity quotas, climate initiatives, and gender policies that sapped readiness and lethality.
Hegseth has launched a bold campaign to reverse this trend, dismantling distractions and rebuilding a force rooted in merit and combat prowess. His recent testimony before Congress, marked by sharp exchanges with lawmakers, underscores both the urgency and the controversy of his mission.
Hegseth’s reforms began with a decisive strike against social engineering. He eliminated
- diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs,
- banned transgender service,
- ended the Women, Peace & Security initiative,
- enforced merit-based admissions at military academies, and
- purged race- and gender-focused materials from Pentagon libraries.
These actions, as Hegseth testified on June 10 before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, aim to restore a “warrior ethos” by prioritizing combat readiness over identity politics.
“DEI is dead,” he declared, redirecting resources to training and lethality.
Leadership bloat, a long-standing drain on efficiency, faced Hegseth’s axe next. He slashed billets for four-star generals and admirals by 20 percent and merged redundant commands, such as folding the Army Futures Command into the Training and Doctrine Command.
During his Senate Appropriations testimony on June 11, Hegseth defended these cuts as essential for a “lean and mean” military, despite pushback from senators like Susan Collins (R., Maine), who worried about budget delays. Faster decision-making and streamlined operations now position the military to respond decisively in high-stakes conflicts.
Budget and acquisition reforms have further sharpened the Pentagon’s focus. Facing an 8 percent annual budget cut, Hegseth has streamlined Army contracting and shifted funds from obsolete systems to modern technologies, such as drones and counter-drone systems.
In his House testimony, he sidestepped detailed budget questions but emphasized redirecting $50 billion toward AI-driven drones and hypersonic missiles, outpacing adversaries like China. These moves ensure that the military wields cutting-edge tools for future wars.
Hegseth’s push for missile defense and long-range fires, including the Golden Dome for America and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), strengthens homeland protection and offensive reach.
He highlighted these priorities in congressional hearings, noting their role in deterring peer threats such as Russia and China.
Similarly, his focus on lethality and readiness — through programs like Holistic Health and Fitness, increased maintenance budgets, and live-fire drills — ensures that troops and equipment are battle-ready.
Climate initiatives, once a Pentagon obsession, are gone. Hegseth canceled over 90 studies and projects, redirecting funds to munitions and training. This rejection of green agendas keeps the military laser-focused on combat.
AI integration into command systems by 2027, another Hegseth priority, will speed up threat analysis and logistics, providing commanders an edge in dynamic wars.
Hegseth’s deployment of troops to the southern border for surveillance and drone patrols, which drew heated criticism during his June 10 testimony, prioritizes homeland security. Costing $134 million, this mission trains soldiers while securing the nation, freeing overseas forces for global threats.
Drone capabilities are expanding, with unmanned systems expected to be deployed to every Army division by 2026, offering cost-effective lethality. Cyber warfare, bolstered by new battalions and zero-trust networks, positions the military to dominate the digital battlefield, a critical frontier.
Hegseth’s reforms reject the left’s 16-year politicization of the Pentagon.
His contentious Hill testimony — facing bipartisan ire over budget delays and troop deployments — reveals the resistance to his agenda.
Yet, by torching DEI, climate distractions, and bureaucratic excess, Hegseth is restoring a military that stands above politics, built for one purpose: to fight and win the nation’s wars.
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Matt Schoenfeldt is a retired field artillery officer, former strategic planner at the Pentagon, and a commissioned officer of over 20 years. He previously wrote for NR as Robert M. Berg.
First published in the National Review
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