Trump to take aim at DEI, COVID expulsions in military, Hegseth says
World
Trump to take aim at DEI, COVID expulsions in military, Hegseth says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump will soon sign executive orders removing diversity, equity and inclusion from the military, reinstating thousands of troops who were kicked out for refusing COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, and building an air defense system for the United States, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday.
Hegseth, who narrowly secured enough votes to become defense secretary, reverted to the names of Confederate generals that were once used for two key bases during his remarks to reporters as he entered the Pentagon on his first full day on the job.
Hegseth has promised to bring major changes to the Pentagon and he has made eliminating DEI from the military a top priority.
"There are more executive orders coming," Hegseth told reporters.
The Air Force said on Sunday that it will resume instruction of trainees using a video about the first Black airmen in the US military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, which has passed review to ensure compliance with Trump's ban on DEI initiatives.
Hegseth was warmly greeted on the steps of the Pentagon by the top US military officer, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, whom Hegseth criticized in his latest book. Asked if he might fire Brown, Hegseth joked that he was standing right next to him.
"I’m standing with him right now. I look forward to working with him," as he patted Brown on the back.
Reuters has previously reported about the possibility of mass firing among top brass, something Hegseth repeatedly refused to rule out during his confirmation process.
The US and Colombia pulled back from the brink of a trade war on Sunday.
INTERNAL FOCUS
Hegseth referred to Fort Moore and Fort Liberty by their previous names, Fort Benning and Fort Bragg, while speaking with reporters.
They had been changed under former President Joe Biden as part of an effort to rechristen bases named for Confederate officers.
"I'm thinking about the guys and gals in Guam, Germany, Fort Benning and Fort Bragg," Hegseth said.
Much of Hegseth's focus at the Pentagon could be internal to the military, on everything from bringing back troops discharged for refusing COVID vaccines to once again banning transgender people from serving in the military.
"Our job is lethality and readiness and war fighting and we are going to hold people accountable," Hegseth said.
Thousands of service members were removed from the military after the Pentagon made the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory in 2021.
A US official said another executive order signed on Monday would be related to transgender troops.
During his first term, Trump announced that he would ban transgender troops from serving in the military. He did not fully follow through with that ban - his administration froze their recruitment while allowing serving personnel to remain.
Biden overturned the decision when he took office in 2021.
Asked if there would be exceptions for currently serving transgender troops, Hegseth said there would be an executive order on that, but did not provide details.
About 1.3 million active personnel serve in the military, Department of Defense data shows. While transgender rights advocates say there are as many as 15,000 transgender service members, officials say the number is in the low thousands.
When Trump announced his first ban in 2017, he said the military needed to focus on "decisive and overwhelming victory" without being burdened by the "tremendous medical costs and disruption" of having transgender personnel.
MISSILE DEFENSE FOR US
Hegseth said Trump would also sign an executive order to put in place the Iron Dome for the United States.
The short-range Iron Dome air defense system was built by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with US backing, and was built to intercept rockets fired by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza towards Israel.
Each truck-towed unit fires radar-guided missiles to blow up short-range threats such as rockets, mortars and drones in midair.
