US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listed out three priorities of the US Defence Department and President Donald Trump during his address to a brigade of midshipmen at the US Naval Academy.
Calling for renewed warrior ethos, he said, "I don't care if you are a mechanic, a lawyer, or a Marine (infantryman). You are a warrior on behalf of this nation, held to standards and accountable...We are not chasing electric tanks in the desert. We are focused on readiness and excellence."
He listed rebuilding the military as the second priority.
Citing his own experience as a young platoon leader deployed to Iraq to highlight his vision for a mission-focus, agile and adaptable armed forces, guided by accountable leadership, he said, "The only thing I cared about … was to know that my command and my commander had my back...That if I had to make a difficult decision with little sleep, limited information … my chain of command would have my back."
He assured that President Trump would ensure that the armed forces are given all the resources to do their job.
Hailing Trump for unveiling F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet, he said the platform would help maintain air dominance.
Hegseth said Trump asked him to restore the warfighting piece of the military and "bring it back to basics."
The third pillar, Hegseth said, is reestablishing deterrence in a world where increasingly bold adversaries have violated international norms without consequence.
"Re-establishing deterrence is about declaring what you stand for … and then you're willing to enforce it. You are the faces of American deterrence," he said.
