The war on warriors Pete Negseth
Pete Hegseth’s new book, *The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free*, delves into his concerns about the influence of "woke" ideology in today’s military. As a Fox News host and veteran, Hegseth explains that his time in the Army profoundly shaped his life, and he now sees that same institution undergoing significant changes that, he believes, could compromise American security.
“The title, *The War on Warriors*, is intended to show that our service members are facing challenges not only on the battlefield but also from within the military itself,” Hegseth told Fox News Digital. “The subtitle, *Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free*, points to how the military has allowed itself to be steered into adopting these new ideologies.
In the book, which is now available for preorder, Hegseth examines how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, gender quotas, and other recent policies may be weakening the military’s traditional standards of merit and effectiveness. He aims to reveal what he sees as a deeper dysfunction affecting the institution’s mission and culture."You can play all the political games and push your agendas, but when the bullets start flying, who are you going to call? It’s mostly those men who were raised in faith-driven, patriotic households—regardless of race—who understand there's something greater than themselves and are willing to sign up out of love for duty, honor, and country," Hegseth said.
"If this trend continues in our military... not only will we be less secure, but people are going to die. Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors will lose their lives because they’re less prepared, less focused, and their units are less cohesive and less well-trained. Standards are dropping," Hegseth warned. "The social justice priorities pushed by this administration, and those before it, have disrupted our military's core mission." Hegseth, who has spent two decades in the military, says it's a very different institution from the one he originally joined.
"The military I entered was all about one thing—lethality. Unified purpose. Meritocracy. Are you good at your job? We trained to be the best warfighters, equipped with everything needed to accomplish the mission," he recalled. 
"Today’s military has added countless layers between meritocracy and effectiveness, telling troops, ‘Your real strength is diversity,’" he continued.
Having served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay, earning two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman Badge, Hegseth emphasized that during his deployments, he served with soldiers who were "Black, White, straight, and probably gay," but none of that mattered.
"It was only about the mission and the Army green uniform," Hegseth said, attributing the changes he sees to directives from the Pentagon, particularly during the Obama and Biden years. "Progressives—or regressives, however you want to label them—couldn't stand having a vast meritocracy that stood in the way of their control efforts."
Hegseth believes the priorities of military leadership have shifted, with many current service members, from various branches and ranks, sharing concerns with him that priorities are misaligned.
"Civilian leaders have forced these changes on our generals, who follow along to advance their careers. They know if they want promotions and lucrative post-service defense jobs, they need to go with the social engineering directives coming from the White House. If they don’t, they risk getting fired. So, they comply, even if they know these changes aren’t improving their units," Hegseth said.(More Read)
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