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Former US infantry officer and Fox News political commentator Pete Hegseth has confirmed the American military will pursue a “peace through strength” approach, after he was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of Defense.
Under the new approach, the US military will advocate for the restoration of the warrior ethos, rebuild military capability and re-establish deterrence, according to public statements made by Hegseth on 25 January.
“We will put America first, and we will never back down … The President gave us a clear mission: achieve peace through strength,” Hegseth said.
“We will do this in three ways. We will revive the warrior ethos and restore trust in our military. We are American warriors. We will defend our country. Our standards will be high, uncompromising and clear. The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.
“We will rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities. This means reviving our defence industrial base, reforming our acquisition process, passing a financial audit and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. We will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world.
“We will re-establish deterrence by defending our homeland – on the ground and in the sky. We will work with allies and partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by communist China, as well as supporting the President’s priority to end wars responsibly and reorient to key threats. We will stand by our allies – and our enemies are on notice.
“All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards and readiness.
“We serve together at a dangerous time. Our enemies will neither rest nor relent. And neither will we. We will stand shoulder to shoulder to meet the urgency of this moment.
“Together we will accomplish the President’s mission to deter war, and if necessary, defeat and destroy our enemies.”
The new Secretary of Defense has also announced that the US Defense Department will support the defence of the territorial integrity of the United States of America at the southern border to include reservists, National Guard and active duty in compliance with the constitution.
“Whatever is needed at the border will be provided,” he said.
In addition, Hegseth, who spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 26 January, was confirmed to discuss the importance of advancing mutual security interests and priorities.
