On September 5th, President Donald Trump issued an executive order changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. This was the original name given to the Department when Congress established it in 1789 to oversee the affairs of our nation’s military and to be a symbol of strength. In recent years, that strength has waned significantly due to the pervasive political ideologies forced upon military personnel from above. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is turning that around.
In 2011, President Barack Obama repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Clinton-era policy that prohibited openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from serving in the armed forces while allowing them to remain in the military if their sexual orientation was not disclosed. This change led to more openly gay, lesbian, and transgender members asking for the military to accommodate their lifestyle. Pride celebrations and drag queen shows were held on military bases. During the first Trump administration, transgender individuals who were seeking surgeries or needed regular medication were prohibited from joining the military. This policy was overturned under the Biden administration, and these procedures were funded by taxpayer dollars.
The Biden Administration took other actions that injected politics into the military. During the COVID-19 pandemic, military personnel were forced to take the experimental vaccine or face termination. A reported 8,000 were fired, and countless others voluntarily left. Shortly after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision allowing states to regulate abortions, the Department of Defense began paying travel expenses for military personnel and their families to get abortions out of state. Additionally, unfair race and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies replaced ability and merit. Recruitment significantly faltered due to these leftist Biden administration programs.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is turning things around for our military. Last week, Secretary Hegseth spoke at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, saying:
This administration has done a great deal from day one to remove the social justice, politically correct and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department, to rip out the politics. No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship, no more division, distraction, or gender delusions, no more debris… I made it my mission to uproot the obvious distractions that made us less capable and less lethal.
Through executive orders and Pentagon policy changes, each issue has been corrected. Secretary Hegseth has also fired many generals who have pushed the previous policies. Uprooting the worst policies and actors has paid off. In this year alone, all military branches have met and exceeded their recruitment goals — ahead of schedule.
Secretary Hegseth is also advocating for higher physical standards to be met, and he doesn’t shy away from meeting them himself. Hegseth and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. have posted videos of the two of them working out together and challenging each other to do 50 pullups and 100 pushups in under 5 minutes. During last week’s Navy vs. Army football game, he led a record-breaking 3,068 people in doing pushups for one minute. Leading by example is a priority of this administration.
While top-notch physical standards should be the objective, these standards were weakened by previous administrations to allow women to serve in all areas despite being unable to pass the same standards as men. Even some Republicans in Congress have struggled to understand why the physical differences of women and men should preclude women from combat roles. For years, Eagle Forum has fought against both women in combat and in the draft.
Last month, the Department of War announced the termination of the Defense Advisory Committee for Women in the Services (DACOWITS). DACOWITS was established in 1951 to assist in recruiting women for the Korean War. Since then, the Committee has advanced feminist and divisive policies, such as placing women in combat roles and lowering physical standards. In 2002, President George W. Bush scaled back their abilities and let their charter expire due to their push for gender quotas. At the time, Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly said:
DACOWITS’s goal has always been careerism for female officers at the expense of combat readiness. Now that a real war is going on, this is no time to try to appease the unappeasable Clinton feminists in their perennial pursuit of an androgynous military.
Fortunately, Secretary Hegseth is not interested in appeasing the Left.
Even though the government is still shut down, the Senate has been working on the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2296), which will provide funding and policy measures for the Department of War. The House has already passed its version. Neither versions contain DEI policies or language regarding drafting women, abortion reimbursement, and placing women in combat roles. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) may introduce a block of amendments (called a manager’s amendment) that would include policies from both Republican and Democrat Senators to avoid a longer amendment process. However, what would be included is unknown to the public. We will continue to advocate for strong policies that do not include these dangerous provisions.
The Trump administration has worked hard to show Americans and other nations that we are stronger than ever. Secretary Hegseth wrapped up his speech to Marines with the ending to a commander’s prayer:
And most of all, Lord, please keep my Soldiers safe, lead them, guide them, protect them, watch over them, and as you gave all of yourself for me, help me give all of myself for them. Amen.
Eagle Forum has a long history of advocating for a strong national defense and works closely alongside the Center for Military Readiness. To learn more, visit our website, and while you are there, sign up for our emails and alerts so that you do not miss upcoming actions that could affect our nation’s military.
