At the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, today, some 998 cadets threw their caps in the air, prepared to disperse out into the Army to lead soldiers in every corner of the world.
Before that happened, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told those newly minted leaders that they've got his trust and the trust of the president.
Four years ago, he said, they accepted an appointment to West Point to shoulder the burden of military leadership and the dangers of a military career. Now, as they graduate, they will finally be given what they asked for: the opportunity to lead and, in some cases, to fight.
"You've proven that you have what it takes to lead our nation's top 1%, America's most valued treasure, America's sons and daughters," he said. "We're sending you to lead, we're sending you to forge warriors, and we're sending you perhaps, to war — and you are ready. The world today is at a crossroads, just as it has been for the past 250 years of our great republic. You are stepping into the arena at a time when the stakes could not be higher."
Early on in his tenure as secretary, Hegseth laid out priorities for his vision of a military based on meritocracy, lethality, accountability, readiness and standards. He said West Point graduates not only possess each of the attributes, but they will be evaluated on them going forward, and they must instill them in the troops they lead.
"We want high, uniform, unwavering standards," he said. "We want meticulous discipline, the kind I see right here. We want true accountability, and we want it all in service of readiness and lethality. Readiness means preparation; it means training — realistic, tough training. We must train exactly like we fight, and that means real, practical warfighting skills; it means lethality."
The secretary told the graduates that when they raised their hand to become cadets at West Point, they committed to serve the nation as students, with the understanding that later, they'd be called upon to serve within a culture of warriors — to possibly be sent into combat. The time to go, to be sent in, he said, has arrived.
"You are an American Army, an Army of warriors," he said. "Four years ago, you raised your right hand and said, 'Send me.' And today, as you join the ranks of the greatest fighting force in the history of the world, we stand together as one Army, and we say, 'Send us.'"
The U.S. Army, Hegseth said, gets its strength from training, commitment and singular purpose. Those are things cadets learned at West Point, and things they will put into practice now that they are commissioned officers.
"Our strength is our shared purpose. Our strength is our oath to the Constitution," Hegseth said. "It's our embrace of the Army values, the idea of merit, our mission, our absolute commitment to duty and honor and country. These are the things that unify us. 'Send me' becomes 'send us,' because you are one fighting force, just as we are one nation under God."
The secretary said the Army is consistently meeting recruiting goals, and this year it met them early. Next year, he said, the Army will grow in size, and this graduating class will be out in the force training those new soldiers, ensuring they are ready to serve their country.
As a former soldier himself, Hegseth shared his guidance for success.
"Relentlessly train your soldiers, listen to your [noncommissioned officers, they] are the backbone of the Army and will save your life," he said. "Do harder [physical training], push your soldiers to become more proficient, more lethal and more prepared at everything they do."
The secretary encouraged the young leaders to ensure that those they lead know the purpose of their mission and that they have each other's backs.
"It greatly improves execution when you share with them the purpose and unlock their combined talent," he said, adding, "Take care of your soldiers, take care of their families and each other. If you never leave a fallen comrade, you've done your job."
At the top levels of the U.S. military, Hegseth said, he has his own work to do, noting that while they have each other's backs, he has theirs, and he laid out his plan to ensure they can do what they have been challenged to do.
First, he and his staff are eliminating the bureaucracy and red tape that make it difficult for service members to do the job of defending the nation.
"We are taking a chainsaw to all of it," Hegseth said.
Second, he promised to get soldiers the tools they need to fight the nation's wars.
"That means real acquisition reform, procurement reform, ending the culture of spending 10 years and $10 billion extra to build a system that's obsolete by the time it reaches your platoon," he said. "We're going to buy lethal, effective gear, and we're going to get it into your hands fast and then get you the right to repair, as your secretary talks about all the time."
Third, he said, is enabling soldiers to do their jobs without fear of reprisal for doing the right thing.
"My job is to untie your hands and to have your back — when you make hard calls, when you enforce the standards, when you prioritize lethality over likability," he said. "You will have top cover. ... No more walking on eggshells."
Finally, Hegseth told the cadets he's proud of them and that he expects to see them out in the force.
"Congratulations to the class of 2026," he said. "I look forward to serving with you, serving you and seeing you on the field. May God bless you, may Almighty God bless the United States Army and may Almighty God continue to bless this great republic — the United States of America."