Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s decision to summon top military commanders from around the globe to Virginia Tuesday to tell them he was ending what he called the department’s “woke” culture deserves a critique. Vowing to restore a warrior ethos is one thing. Understanding what makes a warrior for modern warfare is another.
Hegseth’s remarks alternated between praising and belittling the country’s existing armed forces and their leadership. He stated that the United States has the most powerful, lethal military on the planet, but said he was tired of seeing “fat troops” and “fat generals and admirals.”
He acknowledged the assembled commanders’ service but also argued “… we’ve promoted too many uniformed leaders for the wrong reasons. Based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic, so-called firsts.”
We won’t argue against merit-based promotions, or physical fitness standards, in the military.
We do question the value and cost of taking officers away from their commands for a speech that could have been an email or videoconference. We question the motivation of implying that commanders who are not white and male achieved their ranks solely because of diversity quotas. Such a broad allegation is divisive and unhelpful. And we question whether Hegseth’s overwhelming emphasis on physical fitness and appearance will produce the military needed to protect Americans against 21st-century security threats.
We wonder what this country’s adversaries, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, gleaned from the speech. Putin enjoys displays of military strength and ruthlessness on the battlefield, but is also masterful with unconventional tactics, techniques that can be effective regardless of an opponent’s physical might.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine, started with a conventional ground advance but mutated into something else: drone warfare. Provocative airspace incursions over NATO countries to test their alert level and tolerance. Disinformation campaigns designed to advance its interests. Sending incendiary devices via commercial shipping companies to cargo hubs in Europe.
But even Putin, a man who we believe also values appearance over substance, often miscalculates. Russia had the larger conventional military and expected to prevail quickly. It did not. Ukraine has confounded its enemy, partly because Ukraine has recognized and made good use of the skills and determination of civilians, such as women and older men, who are not traditional soldiers.
Ukraine could not have fought so long without enormous support from Western nations, including the U.S., but Ukrainians have done all the dying. Shared purpose has mattered more than physical strength.
This country is different, and the skills needed to protect it are different than they were the last time it had a Department of War. Physical fitness is important but insufficient; we cannot afford to ignore the capabilities of Americans who may not match Hegseth’s image of a soldier.
The country needs more than troops with physical strength and the right appearance to protect it from adversaries who fight with drones and disinformation.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.
If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com