Shave Up, Shape Up: Pentagon Rebrands As War Department With New Rules

Last Updated:September 30, 2025, 23:21 IST

Pete Hegseth accused decades of Pentagon leadership of drifting from their core mission, blaming what he called political correctness.

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth | File Image/AP

The Pentagon has shed its post-war identity as at a surprise gathering in Quantico, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the “era of the Department of Defense is over,” reviving the pre–World War II name “War Department” and unveiling a sweeping cultural reset.

The announcement came before more than eight hundred generals, admirals and senior officers flown in from commands across Europe, the Middle East, South Korea and beyond. The secrecy of the summons had fueled speculation for days and even seasoned military leaders admitted they had never witnessed anything of this scale.

Pete Hegseth accused decades of Pentagon leadership of drifting from their core mission, blaming what he called political correctness, diversity quotas and lax discipline for undermining combat readiness. He promised a return to toughness, meritocracy and “ruthlessness” with new standards for fitness and grooming, a ban on beards and shaving waivers and an end to promotions tied to race or gender targets. He also vowed to overhaul watchdog offices that, in his words, forced commanders to “walk on eggshells.”

“If you cannot meet the standards, it’s time for a new position, or a new profession,” Pete Hegseth said as he made clear that under his watch, overweight officers and troops would be held to account, bluntly calling them a “bad look” for the military.

Beyond culture, Pete Hegseth pushed for a strategic reset, ruling out counterinsurgency campaigns and “nation-building” in favor of a singular focus on fighting and winning wars. “Never again to mission creep or nebulous end states,” he said, invoking the frustrations of veterans from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He cast the moment as comparable to Ronald Reagan’s Cold War buildup and the battlefield leadership of the 1991 Gulf War, arguing that Donald Trump-era investments were laying similar foundations.

“We embrace the War Department, and we must. We are preparing every day to win, not just to defend. Defense is inherently reactionary and can lead to overuse, overreach and mission creep,” he said.

US President Donald Trump joined the summit after Pete Hegseth’s remarks, hailing the meeting as a “morale-boosting exercise” and lending political weight to the rebrand. While the change has not yet been enshrined in law, the speech marked a dramatic break with the Department of Defense identity that has shaped US military policy since 1947.

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