Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a series of changes to the armed forces Tuesday that he claimed will raise the standards of America’s combat troops and unburden commanders from fear of violating internal military rules.

The new policies, announced at an extraordinary meeting of hundreds of military leaders in Quantico, Va., are an extension of Hegseth’s campaign to reverse moves over the past two decades meant to make the military more inclusive of women and minority recruits. He cast the moves as necessary to increase the “lethality” of U.S. troops. 

“A few months ago, I was at the White House when President Trump announced his ‘liberation day’ for America’s trade policy. It was a landmark day. Well, today is another liberation day, the liberation of America’s warriors,” Hegseth said.

“You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct, don’t necessarily belong always in polite society,” he added. “You are different. We fight not because we hate what’s in front of us, we fight because we love what’s behind us.”

Hegseth said physical fitness would be prioritized across the armed forces, even if that means fewer women in combat roles, and announced the military’s internal complaint and investigations process would be overhauled to eliminate “frivolous” complaints.

“If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” he told the crowd of admirals and generals.

Trump, who signed an executive order earlier this month rebranding the Defense Department the Department of War, spoke after Hegseth.

Here are the key takeaways from Hegseth’s speech. 

Focus on fitness, grooming

Hegseth’s speech focused on raising the fitness standards for all U.S. service members, taking aim at overweight troops and generals, and more strictly enforcing grooming standards.

“It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the secretary of War can do regular hard PT [physical training], so can every member of our joint force. Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” he told the military leaders Tuesday morning.

“Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country [and] in the world,” he added. “It’s a bad look. It is bad, and it’s not who we are.” 

Hegseth told military leaders that all combat troops would be held to the “highest male standard,” with field tests strictly enforced across the service. 

The Defense secretary also reinforced new grooming standards he released earlier this month.

“No more beards, long hair, superficial, individual expression. We’re going to cut our hair, shape up, shave our beards and adhere to standards, because it’s like the broken windows theory of policing. It’s like, you let the small stuff go, the big stuff eventually goes,” he said. “If you want a beard, you can join special forces. If not, then shave.”

Fewer women in combat roles

Hegseth said he frequently asks his staff to apply the “1990 test” to crafting policy. 

“The 1990s test is simple. What were the military standards in 1990, and if they have changed, tell me why: Was it a necessary change based on the evolving landscape of combat, or was the change due to a softening, weakening or gender-based pursuit of other priorities?” he said. 

Women were first allowed in direct combat roles during the Obama administration. Hegseth did not announce a complete rollback of women in combat, but announced the “highest male standards” would now be applied to all combat roles.

He conceded that would result in no women in some roles. 

“We very much value the impact of female troops our female officers and NCOs are the absolute best in the world. But when it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical standards must be high and gender-neutral,” he said. 

“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result.”

Overhaul to IG process

Hegseth announced the Pentagon will overhaul its process for filing complaints with the building’s independent watchdog, telling officers the Defense Department will no longer allow anonymous complaints. 

He declared the department’s inspector general process “has been weaponized,” claiming it has put complainers and poor performers in the driver’s seat. 

He said the Pentagon also would change the process for its complaints filed under the equal opportunity program responsible for issues related to sexual harassment and discrimination based on race, gender or religion “to end the poisonous culture of risk aversion.”

“I call it the ‘No More Walking on Eggshells Policy,’” Hegseth told the assembled generals and admirals. “We are liberating you.” 

“No more frivolous complaints, no more anonymous complaints, no more repeat complaints, no more [ruined] reputations, no more endless waiting, no more legal limbo, no more sidetracking careers or walking on eggshells,” Hegseth said. 

He stressed that racism and sexual harassment are “wrong and illegal,” and that those kinds of infractions will still be enforced, “but telling someone to shave or get a haircut or get a shave or fix their uniform or show up on time or to work hard, that’s exactly the kind of discrimination we want.”

In addition, he announced the Pentagon is starting “a full review” of how words including “bullying,” “hazing,” and “toxic leadership” are used as part of accountability efforts, claiming the terms have been “weaponized” to undercut military leaders.

“Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do, and if that makes me toxic, then so be it,” he said. 

Defends firings, says more coming

The Pentagon chief defended a string of high-profile firings, saying “more leadership changes will be made,” even encouraging the assembled generals and admirals to resign should they disagree with his efforts.

“Our job, my job, has been to determine which leaders simply did what they must to answer the prerogatives of civilian leadership, and which leaders are truly invested in the ‘woke’ department and therefore incapable of embracing the War Department and executive new lawful orders,” Hegseth said.

“The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can advance the right policies. But if the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” he added.

Among the top military leaders who have been fired since February with little to no explanation are Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Defense Intelligence Agency head Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Navy Reserve Chief Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore and National Security Agency head Gen. Tim Haugh.

Hegseth also took a shot at several retired officers who have drawn the ire of Trump, including former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley and former U.S. Central Command head Gen. Frank McKenzie.

“The new compass heading is clear: out with the Chiarellis, the McKenzies and the Milleys, and in with the Stockdales, the Schwarzkopfs and the Pattons. More leadership changes will be made, of that I’m certain. Not because we want to, but because we must,” Hegseth said.

Adm. James Stockdale was the senior-most naval officer taken prisoner during the Vietnam War; Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf led coalition forces in the Gulf War; and Gen. George Patton Jr. was a famed World War II commander. Gen. Peter Chiarelli was Vice Joint Chiefs chair under former President Obama. 

The backdrop to Tuesday’s event a giant American flag was reminiscent of the opening scene in the 1970 biopic about Patton. 

Instill ‘healthy fear’ in training

Hegseth is also moving to change how basic training is conducted, empowering drill sergeants to instill “healthy” fear in new recruits.

“To that point, basic training is being restored to what it should be: scary, tough and disciplined. We’re empowering drill sergeants to instill healthy fear in new recruits, ensuring that future war-fighters are forged,” Hegseth said during his speech. 

“Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits. This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried-and-true methods to motivate new recruits to make them the warriors they need to be,” Hegseth said.

The Defense secretary emphasized that every member of the armed forces should be proficient in basic infantry skills.  

“We need to ensure that every member of our uniformed military maintains baseline proficiency and basic combat skills, especially because the next war, like the last, will likely not have a rear area,” he added Tuesday morning.

And he said they would spend less time with other types of training.

“At my direction, we are drastically reducing the ridiculous amount of mandatory training that individuals and units must execute. We’ve already ended the most egregious; now we’re giving you back real time, less PowerPoint briefings and fewer online courses, more time in the motor pool and more time on the [shooting] range.”

Updated at 11:50 a.m. EDT