Pete Hegseth boasts about reshaping military while U.S. is at war with Iran

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is championing a major overhaul of the American armed forces, moving to dismiss approximately 20 percent of senior admirals and generals while the United States remains locked in a war with Iran.

According to a CBS News report by Charlie D'Agata, the defense chief initiated his day with a physical conditioning session termed "PT at the Pentagon" before advancing the broad reduction of seasoned military brass. While external observers and press reports have labeled the dramatic turnover a purge, Hegseth defended the decisions, characterizing the measures as overdue accountability.

The sweeping removals follow earlier moves in which Hegseth forced out nearly 20 high-ranking flag officers along with the civilian secretaries of both the Army and the Navy. In addition, the defense secretary has halted promotions for multiple female and minority service members. Hegseth highlighted these actions as an intentional effort to eliminate what he described as "woke culture" inside the defense establishment, declaring an end to identity months, diversity goals, and gender pronoun usage in favor of a strict warrior ethos.

The institutional shakeup has drawn sharp criticism from past defense leaders. Frank Kendall, who served as Air Force secretary during the Biden administration, warned that recovering from Hegseth's actions could take an entire generation. Kendall disputed the premise that the armed services have unneeded high-ranking leadership, arguing that the nation does not carry an excess of generals or inflated commands. Describing the campaign as a political stunt with adverse consequences, Kendall stressed that modern national defense involves an intellectual contest alongside physical capability, requiring strategic expertise beyond conditioning drills.

The domestic military restructuring unfolds amid intense international security demands. Alongside the ongoing conflict with Iran, American forces are managing operations across the Caribbean and preparing to expand troop deployments within Europe.

The changes also coincided with the formal completion of the long-scheduled withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, CBS News reported. The conclusion of that deployment marks the close of a twelve-year campaign against ISIS and comes more than two decades after the initial military invasion of Iraq. Even as the withdrawal finalized, militias in Iraq supported by Iran have claimed the pullout as a triumph for their side.