Hegseth renews ‘woke’ military attacks as he announces new autonomous weapons command

WASHINGTON, DC: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood before troops at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Wednesday, delivering a speech that echoed his familiar criticisms of military culture.

Hegseth made it clear he was not backing down, announcing further cuts to senior officer positions as part of his ongoing campaign to strip away what he calls “woke” policies inside the Pentagon. The speech came one year after his previous address at Quantico, where he laid out his vision for changing the military.

Hegseth renews criticism of ‘woke’ military culture

Hegseth said the military would reduce the number of general and flag officer positions by 20%. He said the figure represented a 10% reduction already carried out, along with an additional 10% reduction in general officer slots.

Hegseth also repeated language from his September 30, 2025, speech at Quantico, when he railed against what he described as “the woke department” and outlined his preferred vision for how the military should look and act.

He said the Trump administration would “rip out the politics” of the Pentagon and that the “only mission” would be “warfighting, preparing for war and preparing to win.”

“We are no longer the woke department or the weak department,” Hegseth said during Wednesday’s address.

“Simple translation of that: No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals, just warriors, just tough, ready, committed troops.”

Hegseth announces autonomous warfare command

Alongside his criticism of military culture, Hegseth announced plans for a new Autonomous Warfare Command that will focus on AI, robotics and autonomous weapons.

The new four-star combatant command will be tasked with scaling autonomous and robotic capabilities across the military, including drones, artificial intelligence and command and control systems.

“The autonomous and robotic revolution has enormous implications for equipment, doctrine, organization, and the assumptions that have governed warfare for decades,” Hegseth said.

“Lasting change must be anchored in military command structures.”

The Pentagon chief cited lessons learned from the war in Ukraine as motivation for the new command. He also announced a complementary effort known as Project Agincourt, which will help clear the way for the new command and overhaul how the military acquires, tests and fields drones and other similar weapons.

The Pentagon plans to have the Autonomous Warfare Command operational in October 2027.

Hegseth outlines broader military changes

The autonomous warfare command was one of several initiatives Hegseth announced during his State of the Force address.

He also announced plans for an effort focused on ensuring military bases can maintain their own power during attacks on public infrastructure. Another initiative, Project Meridian, will examine the future of warfare and identify capabilities the military needs to develop.

The address marked Hegseth’s second consecutive State of the Force speech at Quantico. His first, in September 2025, was directed at senior military leaders and focused heavily on his criticism of Pentagon culture.

This year’s address was directed toward junior officers and enlisted leaders. Hegseth used the speech to combine his continuing criticism of “woke” policies with plans to restructure the military and accelerate the adoption of autonomous weapons technology.