Pete Hegseth reveals future for 8,700 troops fired by Biden
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth revealed Wednesday that letters were sent out to bring back American service members who were fired or forced out of the armed services by the coronavirus vaccine mandate.
Hegseth visited the Carlisle Barracks in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and delivered remarks after meeting with members at the U.S. Army War College.
He said the United States military continued working to bring over 8,700 service members back into the military, after they left during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a vaccine mandate enacted under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
'We are welcoming actively back those warriors of conscience. We've sent letters out, we're seeking them out, we want them back, they never should have been forced out,' Hegseth said.
Hegseth delivered a speech highlighting the 100-day accomplishments of the department, despite ongoing criticism of his tenure at the Pentagon.
'No more social engineering. No more climate change worship. No more electric tanks. No more gender confusion. No more pronouns. No more excuses. No more quotas,' he said.
He reiterated his goal of emphasizing the importance of physical fitness in the Department, demanding that soldiers be 'fit not fat, sharp, not shabby.'
It was all part of restoring the 'warrior ethos' in the American military he said, as he outlined the elimination of many agenda items enacted in the military during the previous administration.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) jokes with Commandant of the Army War College Major General David Hill as he delivers remarks to students, faculty and staff at the U.S. Army War college
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R) arrives at the U.S. Army War College on April 23, 2025 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
'No more WOKE bulls**t that undermines commanders and command climates. We are laser focused on our mission of warfighting,' he said.
He boasted that DEI programs were getting cut out of the Department.
'DEI is dead at DOD,' he said, adding that promotions in the department would be focused on 'performance' not 'immutable characteristics.'
He also emphasized the importance of Department of Defense employees returning to work in person.
'Butts in seats not on Zoom,' he said.
Hegseth acknowledged that his first 100 days was not without controversy but emphasized the reforms that took place on his watch.
U.S. Army Major Sean Higgins, with the 254th Regional Training Institute, recieves the COVID-19 vaccine, Jan. 10, 2021
President Donald J. Trump led a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House
He recalled that President Trump told him when he was appointed that he would need to be 'tough as s**t,' if he took the job.
'Boy he was not kidding on that one,' he added.
Hegseth defied calls for his resignation on Tuesday, after former employees expressed concerns about 'chaos' taking place in the department under his leadership, after four members of his team were fired for accusations of leaking information to the media.
'We took it seriously. It led to some unfortunate places, people I have known for quite some time. But it's not my job to protect them. It's my job to protect national security, the president of the United States,' he said in an interview with Fox News.
He blamed former Pentagon staffers and the 'deep state' for trying to 'sabotage' he and President Trump.
'I have not blinked and I won't blink, because this job is too big and too important for American people and I'm grateful for every opportunity president has given me,' he said.
Trump dismissed the allegations against Hegseth as more of the 'same old stuff.'
'He's doing a great job,' he told reporters on Monday at the Easter Egg roll at the White House. 'It's just fake news. They just bring up stories. I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees. He was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people and that's what he's doing so you don't always have friends when you do that.'
