The Department of War has issued an official transcript of SecWar Pete Hegseth’s speech yesterday to the GOFOs. It is long and, if we are critical, somewhat repetitious. But worth reading.
Hegseth is trying his darnedest to change a woke culture that was forced upon the military by Obama and Biden. To survive, all force leaders had to pay lip service to those civilian leaders’ woke wishes, but some became true believers.
The committed wokesters Hegseth wishes to separate from his command. He advises them to do the honorable thing and resign or retire. Here is my favorite quote from the speech.
Today is another liberation day, the liberation of America's warriors, in name, in deed and in authorities. You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct and don't necessarily belong always in polite society.
That really describes George Patton. I’d conclude with a quote, variously attributed to George Orwell and Winston Churchill, which makes Hegseth’s point.
We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.
The profession of arms doesn’t work if those standing ready aren’t plenty rough, well-equipped and willing to "kill people and break things" at scale.
