Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told future officers at Texas A&M University that the military they enter will put meritocracy, combat readiness and competence at the center of service.

Once in uniform, he said, they will join formations that judge them by what they bring to the fight.

“Under the leadership of our commander in chief, President Donald J. Trump, our doctrine is clear: America first and peace through strength,” Hegseth said.

“And we achieve it in three distinct ways: reviving the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military and reestablishing deterrence here at home and across the globe.”

Restoring the warrior ethos, Hegseth told the cadets in College Station, also requires building a military around merit instead of factors unrelated to performance.

He pointed to action taken shortly after he entered office.

“Two days after taking office, I signed the memorandum restoring America's fighting force,” he said.

“That directive established a bedrock standard that will guide your entire military service ... the armed forces of the United States will be governed strictly by merit, competence and combat readiness.”

Hegseth described the War Department as colorblind, gender neutral and merit based. The message was blunt: standards, discipline, training, readiness and lethality come before the identity politics that have distracted too many institutions.

“The only thing that matters are our standards, discipline, readiness, training and lethality,” he said. “And we will never compromise on those standards.”

Hegseth also praised what he encountered while walking onto the Texas A&M campus. Rather than an institution apologizing for American strength, he said he saw the resolve and backbone the nation needs.

“I do not see an academic institution trying to apologize for American strength; I see backbone and resolve, and the uncompromising future of the United States and the United States armed forces,” he said. “I see a real, grounded, strong institution, which is exactly what our nation needs.”

The university visit came during a trip lasting two days. Hegseth previously visited Saronic, a defense contractor that builds autonomous ocean going drones, including one used to rescue two AH-64 Apache pilots off the coast of Oman.

Image Credit: DoW

Later that day, Hegseth administered the oath of enlistment to dozens of recruits. At Texas A&M, he administered the oath of office to ROTC cadets.

Hegseth said Texas displayed the full package needed to rebuild the U.S. military. Innovators nearby are producing unmanned vessels, autonomous systems, drones and hypersonic missiles, while Texas A&M is preparing future warfighters to wield the technology.

“But standing right here in College Station, I'm looking at the indispensable other half of that equation: the future warfighters. ... The arsenal of freedom builds the sword right here in Texas, but that blade will be wielded as it always has been, by the Aggies standing in front of me today.”

The secretary also reminded the cadets of Texas A&M’s military record.

During World War II, more than 20,000 Aggies served, and the university supplied more military leaders than any source outside the U.S. service academies, a distinction he said continues today.

Not everyone in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets will enter the military. About 40% ultimately accept a commission, and Hegseth said those who serve will become part of the university’s proud military history.

He pledged to provide those future officers with what they need to carry out the duties they swear to perform.

Hegseth connected that promise to his own battlefield service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I make you this personal pledge: just as my fellow soldiers had my back on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan, I will always have your back,” he said.

“And you can know that our commander in chief has your back every single day.”

Hegseth said his Pentagon mission is to deliver the weaponry, training, technology and mission clarity service members require to fight, win and return home.

He also vowed that restrictive rules would not prevent warfighters from accomplishing their missions.

“We will never tie your hands behind your back; silly rules of engagement are gone. Warfighters are unleashed, and we [will] never ask you to apologize for being warriors,” he said.

Hegseth closed by challenging the cadets to train hard, expect more from themselves and honor those who served before them.

“So, train hard, demand more of yourselves than anyone else would ever dare demand of you, uphold the honor of that uniform ... honor the memory of the Aggies who marched before you ... [and] prepare to lead the most formidable fighting force the world has ever known.”

The Department of War provides the military forces needed to deter war and protect the nation’s security.

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