By Col. Laurie Buckholt, US Army, ret
Throughout my 26 years in the U.S. Army and a year in combat, never once did I ask any of my leaders about his or her personal life.
Why?
Because I didn’t care.
In the military, we all wear green, and we all bleed red and what matters most to a solider is how their commanding officer looks after his or her unit.
Indeed, that’s how you can tell the attacks on Pete Hegseth comprise a political hit job, not an indictment on his fitness to lead our military.
The attacks against Pete Hegseth are the same tired and trite allegations the left has used to attack other high-profile nominees.
Salacious allegations make for nice gossip at Washington, D.C. cocktail parties and on the political talk shows, and that’s precisely why it’s the go to refrain when attempting to derail a nomination.
But for anyone that has actually served in the military, the people the secretary of defense will lead, they are a meaningless distraction.
As a woman who served the better part of her career in the Army and reached the rank of colonel before retiring, I can tell you firsthand the military is full of servicemen and women of character like Pete.
That’s not a bad thing.
The distinctive characteristics often attributed to good leaders such as assertiveness, decisiveness, confidence, and the ability to inspire others remain indispensable components of an effective military.
The armed forces, by their inherent nature, operate as a hierarchical organization demanding adherence to structure, discipline, and authority.
Soldiers must place their trust in their leaders to make critical decisions, often with life-or-death implications, under conditions of extreme stress.
In such high-stakes environments, the leadership qualities associated with men and women like Pete — the capacity to assume command, make prompt decisions, and instill confidence in others — are indispensable.
The left wants you to believe this “alpha” personality trait is toxic.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Personalities like Pete’s are what make our military effective.
While they may not always align with left-wing societal norms, in moments of crisis, individuals who possess the ability to make swift, resolute decisions and maintain a composed and confident demeanor are the ones who save lives and secure victories.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and political correctness do not keep troops alive in combat. Social media has created a world in which every public figure lives in a fishbowl.
But how much should we really care about their personal lives if they get the job done?
In this case, Pete Hegseth had a job to lead infantry soldiers — trained killers — in combat, and he did it well.
In many ways the left’s assault on Pete Hegseth is a reflection of their desire to put political correctness over operational effectiveness and combat readiness.
The armed forces are not a social experiment; they are the nation’s last line of defense, entrusted with the responsibility of winning wars, deterring threats, and safeguarding national security.
Regrettably, Joe Biden’s Pentagon has deviated from this core mission.
From the implementation of policies such as using drag queens for recruitment, to an excessive focus on diversity quotas, and a new emphasis on gender sensitivity training, the Pentagon under Lloyd Austin has prioritized social justice over battlefield excellence.
Pete Hegseth’s nomination for secretary of defense is a clear indication of Donald Trump’s intention to refocus the Pentagon on its core mission.
This is why it’s so concerning to Democrats and why the media is so eager to help them vilify this refocusing that Pete Hegseth represents.
So, I’d opine the real problem is not Mr. Hegseth, or his personality, or his actions (out of uniform as a private citizen, I might add).
The real problem is a softening of America to the point college students need “safe spaces,” and parents go on job interviews with their adult children.
Decades of safety relative to the rest of the world have blinded many Americans to the very real threats that lie beyond our borders.
When exposed to the ferocity required to actually address these evils, and the behavior that occasionally comes with it, they are clutching their pearls and digging up irrelevant personal dirt, rather than thanking our warriors for being in the fight so they don’t have to.
And the left conveniently leaves out the fact that he is now a different man having come to Christ. The military is a tough, dirty, brutal business, and I personally want the toughest people in charge of it.
As Winston Churchill said, “We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.”
Colonel Laurie Buckhout, US Army, (ret) spent twenty-six years on active duty, including a year in combat in Iraq as a battalion commander of over 800 soldiers, 2003-2004. She is known globally as a top leader in national military strategy, acquisition policy, cyber and electronic warfare. In 2024, Col. Buckhout was the Republican Nominee for Congress North Carolina’s First District
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