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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth established an ambitious set of goals when he took the oath to lead the department in January 2025, getting to work and aggressively tackling key priorities based on President Donald J. Trump’s “peace through strength” agenda.

Here’s a look at major changes that the department, under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, has unleashed in less than a year.

Restore The Warrior Ethos

Rebuild the Military

Reestablish Deterrence

Families and Communities

Restore the Warrior Ethos

Secretary Hegseth established high, uncompromising and clear standards to revive the legendary American warrior ethos, strengthening the military under President Donald J. Trump, its new commander in chief, through unity around the shared purpose of defending the country.

"Everything starts and ends with warriors in training and on the battlefield. We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind. And refocusing on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards and readiness."

- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Army War College, April 23, 2025

Lethality

A Marine fires a weapon from shoulder height creating a blast on either end of the weapon, while another Marine signals from in front.

Declaring lethality the military's "calling card," Secretary Hegseth took bold, decisive steps to uproot any distractions to its core mission of fighting and winning wars.

Standards

People wearing T-shirts and shorts perform pushups on the deck of a military ship.

To ensure readiness, Secretary Hegseth implemented clear, high and uncompromising standards for medical, mental and physical fitness, and established a new policy on proper grooming.

Meritocracy

Soldier being awarded.

As part of Secretary Hegseth's focus on readying a lethal fighting force, he set a foundational tenet that rewards individual initiative, excellence and hard work based on merit.

Recruitment and Reenlistment

A group of men and women dressed in civilian attire marches in formation, with a man wearing a camouflage military uniform and sunglasses marching alongside the formation.

Under the leadership of Commander in Chief President Donald J. Trump, the military enjoyed strong retention rates, and recruitment across the services surged in 2025, including the number of women enlistees. Secretary Hegseth initiated a 12-month effort to identify and eliminate unnecessary barriers to enlistment without lowering standards.

COVID-19 Reinstatement

A soldier holds up his right hand, places his left on a book held by a civilian, and speaks while facing another civilian with hand raised.

Early in the year, the department started taking significant steps to welcome back service members impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate to align with President Donald J. Trump's executive order on the subject. Secretary Hegseth issued directives to remove adverse actions and ensure remedies for service members who suffered career setbacks as a result of their refusal to take the vaccine.

Words Matter: Changing Names

A soldier holds up his right hand, places his left on a book held by a civilian, and speaks while facing another civilian with hand raised.

In September, President Donald J. Trump signed an order changing the Defense Department's name to the Department of War, a rebranding Secretary Hegseth noted was "not just about renaming, it’s about restoring; words matter." At the secretary's direction, several military installations also restored their previous names, including Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Rebuild the Military

To ensure our military is the strongest and most lethal force in the world, Secretary Hegseth championed the revival of our defense industrial base, acquisition process reforms and rapid delivery of emerging technologies into warriors' hands.

"Our objective is to ... rebuild the arsenal of freedom. American industry and its innovative spirit are begging to be unleashed to solve our most complex and dangerous warfighting problems."

- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Remarks on the Arsenal of Freedom, Nov. 7, 2025

One Big, Beautiful Bill

President Donald J. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shake hands in front of a seated troop audience and U.S. flag.

President Donald J. Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" made historic investments in upgrading ships, planes, icebreakers and developing the Golden Dome to achieve the administration's "peace through strength" agenda and protect the homeland against 21st-century threats.

Drone Dominance

Nine drones fly as a group, with a blue sky and wispy clouds in the background.

On June 6, President Donald J. Trump signed the "Unleashing American Drone Dominance" executive order outlining how the United States would advance its drone game. Secretary Hegseth moved quickly to strip away regulations that hindered the military’s adoption of small drones, kick-started U.S. industrial capacity to quickly deliver low-cost attack drones and overhauled training to incorporate cutting-edge tools.

Defense Industrial Base

A welder in black protective gear uses a tool on a metal part, creating flames and billowing smoke.

Hard power includes demonstrating military readiness and equipping forces with the right weapons and tools — provided by a strong, functioning defense industrial base with adequate capacity. Secretary Hegseth spearheaded reforms to more robustly invest in the U.S. industrial base.

Acquisition

The secretary of war speaks to an audience.

Secretary Hegseth directed sweeping reforms for how the department develops requirements, manages programs and engages industry to accelerate delivery of new capabilities to America’s warfighters.

Modernization

A missile launches out of the ocean and leaves behind spray, smoke and fire during the day.

Secretary Hegseth prioritized modernizing military capabilities to ensure the nation’s warfighters are equipped with the best technology available and that the nuclear triad — the centerpiece of U.S. deterrence — remains credible and capable of delivering a decisive response, anywhere, anytime.

AI Strategy

A logo and the words "Expanding Strategic Advantage with American Frontier AI" appear over a backdrop of connected stars.

Under Secretary Hegseth, the Pentagon is aggressively adopting artificial intelligence to maintain global military preeminence and ensure it is both secure and reliable.

Golden Dome

The president stands and holds a folder while speaking in an office with a "Golden Dome for America" poster displayed behind him.

In response to President Donald J. Trump's call for a next-generation missile defense shield, known as the "Golden Dome," the department has developed a draft architecture and implementation plan for systems that will protect the U.S. homeland from a wide range of global missile threats.

Efficiency

President Donald J. Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth looks on, Dec. 2 2025.

President Donald J. Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency to bring accountability and transparency to federal spending. Secretary Hegseth welcomed DOGE’s assistance in identifying ways to align spending with the priorities to fast-track acquisitions and cut waste.

Reestablish Deterrence

To support President Donald J. Trump’s goals of putting America first and attaining full control of the border, Secretary Hegseth prioritized defending the country "on the ground and in the sky," and working with allies and partners to address international security threats.

"The motto of my first platoon, first one I led, was: ‘Those who long for peace, must prepare for war.’ And that's exactly what we're doing. We are preparing for war in order to deter war — to achieve peace through strength."

- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, May 31, 2025

Border Security

Dozens of Marines hold up concertina wire against a large metal fence in a desert-like area during the day.

Accelerating efforts to fulfill President Donald J. Trump’s directive to bolster military support in securing the southern border, Secretary Hegseth deployed thousands of troops and unique military capabilities to support the Department of Homeland Security’s mission to protect the territorial integrity of the United States.

Supporting Safety in U.S. Cities

Two soldiers stand next to a military vehicle with a monument in the background on a sunny day.

Beyond the southern border, Secretary Hegseth and the War Department have supported efforts to assist law enforcement partners and keep Americans safe coast to coast — from the nation’s capital to Los Angeles.

Operation Southern Spear

Two Marines stand on a rainy flight line near a parked aircraft.

When President Donald J. Trump ordered action to combat narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere, Secretary Hegseth and the War Department delivered with Operation Southern Spear, announced in November. Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and U.S. Southern Command, the mission removes intelligence-confirmed narco-terrorists in the region to protect America and its people.

The Indo-Pacific Region

A Marine, a soldier and an airman sit in a tropical setting, while two use binoculars.

Secretary Hegseth has identified deterring China in the Indo-Pacific as a priority, and he has strengthened relationships and capabilities in the region to reflect its strategic significance.

Global Partnerships

Five aircraft fly in front of three columns of ships traveling in blue water.

In the Indo-Pacific region and around the world, Secretary Hegseth made it clear to allies and partners that the United States stands with them, while also emphasizing the importance of burden sharing among allies in Europe.

Operation Midnight Hammer

A B-2 bomber aircraft lifts off from a dark runway, trailing two fire-like contrails with lights in the background.

Under Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, Operation Midnight Hammer executed a historically successful precision strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, using B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to significantly damage the sites and reset the timeline for a nuclear-capable Iran.

Operation Rough Rider

A sailor uses a neon baton to signal to a moving aircraft illuminated by bright lights as it prepares to launch from a ship in the dark.

In response to repeated Houthi attacks on international shipping, Secretary Hegseth authorized decisive and continuous self-defense strikes against the group’s capabilities, degrading their ability to threaten freedom in the Red Sea.

Families and Communities

Recognizing that rebuilding the military and restoring the warrior ethos begins at home, Secretary Hegseth prioritized strengthening military families and communities and improving their quality of life. This spurred him to revolutionize permanent change of station moves, review homeschooling support and target housing issues.

"We honor the essential role of military families in defending our nation's freedoms. Your patience during long separations, your resilience in the face of uncertainty and your unwavering belief in your loved ones' mission are the silent forces that sustain our military."

- Plaque gifted by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, at the Pentagon Christmas tree lighting, Dec. 3, 2025

Quality of Life Task Forces

A person in casual attire pushes a hand truck with a package up a ramp that leads into a moving truck. There is a house in the background.

To address essential quality of life issues for service members and their families, Secretary Hegseth established two task forces. With the establishment of the Permanent Change of Station Joint Task Force, he initiated an overhaul of the military moving process to prioritize trust, timeliness and accountability, and streamline processes. In October, he directed that a Barracks Task Force be stood up to develop a departmentwide investment plan for barracks improvements.

Connecting With Families

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fist-bumps with a child standing in a group of service members and civilians in a large room.

During his frequent travels, Secretary Hegseth took time to connect with military families at home and abroad. He listened to their hopes and concerns and worked to address them.

Support and Engagement

Secretary Pete Hegseth and three service members in uniform yell into microphones in front of a red, white and blue display outdoors.

Although the men and women who choose military service to our nation represent less than 1% of the population, Secretary Hegseth made sure they remained at the forefront of Americans’ minds everywhere by loudly and proudly celebrating their achievements and honoring their sacrifices.