US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in a speech delivered before hundreds of generals and senior officers at the Quantico military base, announced a series of new policies, which he said would mark the end of decades of "decadence" and the influence of "woke" culture in the Pentagon.
Hegseth said he will review the operation of the Pentagon's inspector general and equal opportunity programs, NBC reports.
"I call the policy 'no more walking on eggshells'. We are freeing the commanders and the NCOs. We are freeing you," he said.
"There will be no more futile complaints, anonymous or repeated complaints. There will be no more ruined reputations, endless waiting or career blockage. Enough with walking on eggshells," Hegseth added.
The Secretary of War told the generals that anyone who did not support his vision should leave.
"If the words I am saying today are making your heart sink, then do the honorable thing and resign," he said.
He introduced ten new directives, including restoring high standards of physical fitness for all troops and officers, underlining that he is purging the army of "wokeness" and "men in dresses."
"We may lose good people too," Hegseth said, but added that only those who want to be warriors will stay.
President Donald Trump, just before traveling to Quantico, warned that he would fire any military leader he didn't like.
"I'll meet with generals and admirals, and if I don't like someone, I'll fire them immediately," Trump said.
Hegseth promised a return to discipline even in the appearance of the troops.
“There will be no more beards, long hair, or superficial individual expressions,” he said. “If you want a beard, then join the special forces.”
According to him, previous commanders had failed to maintain standards, allowing for "an army that looked like Nordic pagans."
"If someone doesn't meet the masculine standards of war, doesn't pass the physical test, or doesn't adhere to appearance rules, then it's time for a new position or a new profession," Hegseth said.
Next, he attacked overweight troops in the army.
"It's tiring to see formations with healthy soldiers. It's also completely unacceptable to see healthy generals and admirals in the corridors of the Pentagon," he said.
According to him, all troops will have to respect weight and height requirements, pass physical tests twice a year, and perform physical exercises every day on duty.
Hegseth stressed that his policies are not intended to block women from serving, but clarified that high physical standards are unchangeable.
"If women make it, great. If not, so be it. If that means no women qualify for certain combat roles, so be it. That's not the goal, but it could be the result," he said.
"It also means that even weak men will not qualify, because we are not playing games. This is war. This is life or death," Hegseth concluded.
