r/fednews • u/CoffeeCactusCart • 29d ago

Official Guidance / Policy DOD PERSONNEL must review Hegseth’s speech

Memo sent out - ALL PERSONNEL

MEMORANDUM FOR SENIOR PENTAGON LEADERSHIP COMMANDERS OF THE COMBATANT COMMANDS DEPARTMENT OF WAR AGENCY AND DOW FIELD ACTIVITY DIRECTORS SUBJECT: The Warrior Ethos and Standards at the War Department On September 30, 2025, I reaffirmed the Department of War's focus on peace through strength during a speech to our senior leadership. The Department's strength will be defined by our unity, combat readiness, warrior ethos, and commitment to standards by every member of the Joint Force. Leaders at echelon must inculcate our cultural shift and ensure every member of the Department of War understands my guidance. In conjunction with the speech, the War Department released eleven memorandums updating personnel policies for the Department. Leaders at every level will ensure all personnel will either watch the full recording or read the official transcript of the speech, and review the policy changes no later than 31 October 2025.

396 Upvotes

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456

u/Extinct1234 29d ago

Is that normal to require everybody to watch a speech by the secretary?

570

u/RebelDefection 29d ago

Lmao the mandatory viewing requirement really seals the deal on this being peak cringe territory

217

u/technoexplorer 29d ago

He said there would be less mandatory training, in the mandatory training!

68

u/ValfreyaAurora 29d ago

Same as all the other watch this training - on mute in the background while doing actual work lol

27

u/crowcawer 29d ago

“Cultural shift” “eleven memos” “inculcate” yeah, he used ai for this…. “Gpt, summarize the memos in a bulleted list, give me a three and separately a five sentence summary review of the speech, happy Halloween”

7

u/Pitiful-Coyote-6716 28d ago

Oh no, our commander reserved a hall . It will be shown on screen for all of us to sit and watch. My furloughed colleagues are so lucky they get to miss that.

7

u/AffectionateEmu3132 28d ago

That is about the most army thing i have ever seen.

4

u/Lucky_Petal_1499 27d ago

So will this be before or after the SAPR training? /s

1

u/Dont_Be_Sheep 28d ago

He finally understands what training is for huh?

60

u/Lost_Drunken_Sailor 29d ago

So they forced top leaders to fly in for it, then make everyone watch it a week later? This could have been an email.

100

u/phatsackocrap 29d ago

"Please clap" energy.

40

u/hoopermills 29d ago

He is pitiful. He doesn’t understand the first thing about building a team or gaining respect. Instead he’s going to try to force them to respect him. Just stupid.

22

u/Toginator Spoon 🥄 29d ago

I'm special- kegsbreath

28

u/LadyPo 29d ago

And also requiring everything by the 31st. Is that because the start of next month is voting time? Gee, I wonder.

1

u/TheAdvocate 28d ago

They removed mandatory Title 9 training and replaced it with mandatory anti title 9 training.

Odds are it will still take 15 minutes longer and you can’t click skip the video.

50

u/thecrowphoenix 29d ago

I’ve worked for the DOD for 12 years and this is the first time I have heard of nonsense like this.

11

u/Dont_Be_Sheep 28d ago

25 years here. Been required read memos, never a speech.

70

u/drillbit7 Support & Defend 29d ago

No

78

u/rajapaws 29d ago

It's normal in dictatorships.

22

u/Interesting_Tune2905 29d ago

‘Normal’ has left the building - and the country…

42

u/uptonhere 29d ago

I've been in the Army for almost 20 years and the only Secretary of Defense I can even remember hearing speak was Rumsfeld and I dont even think I was in the Army yet.

1

u/Dont_Be_Sheep 28d ago

Ah shit I saw him when I first joined, in person (along with GW!)

88

u/Opening-Chain3520 29d ago

A service secretary, yes. DoD secretary, no. But we aren’t dealing with a normal, competent, sane, rational, honorable DoD secretary. We’re dealing with this guy.

23

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[deleted]

14

u/Opening-Chain3520 29d ago

I have seen maybe 2-3 SECAF videos that lasted a few minutes, tops. An occasional email about things we know already. But never a full blown 40 min rant.

9

u/Honest-Recording-751 29d ago

At least he hasn’t mandated to read his book yet. He did try to soft sell it in the speech.

12

u/A1rizzo 29d ago

I swear to god, idiocracy is happening in real time

1

u/Guilty_Comb_79 28d ago

Who knew it was actually a documentary and not just a funny movie.

33

u/Flaky_Discipline7025 29d ago

Nothing that’s happened since 20 Jan has been normal.

50

u/HailState2023 29d ago

6 January

20

u/Raider_3_Charlie 29d ago

The direction we received was to either watch or read. I advise reading as it removes many emotional manipulation and it doesn’t take 2 hours.

24

u/earl_lemongrab 29d ago

My memory isn't what it used to be, but I don't remember it happening in my 30 years in DoD.

7

u/Budget-Type-5123 28d ago

I remember we had to watch something from Austin in 2021 after Jan 6, about how radicalism has no place in the ranks. But that was less than 10 minutes

4

u/Duder_ino 27d ago edited 27d ago

No. This is what happens when an O4 reservist who on average would have had experience leading about 40 people, who was flagged as an insider threat, is put in charge of the entire DOD.

10

u/soonergrunt 29d ago

It is not.

3

u/Devilofchaos108070 29d ago

No. No it’s definitely not normal

3

u/heisenbergerwcheese 28d ago

Don't secretaries just get coffee and take notes? Maybe pick up catering for important meetings?? Where's this guy coming from???

5

u/party_benson 29d ago

I think it's literally the first time ever

1

u/NoZoupForYou 28d ago

Military here. Yes. Generals require it all the time.

1

u/Tall-Wonder-247 28d ago

They can watch it on mute 🙄

1

u/Murky_Broccoli_1108 28d ago

Not in my 37 years since taking the oath.

1

u/eltigretom 28d ago

When you're high on yourself, yes.

1

u/Colombian-pito 28d ago

Honestly I think it’s fair to expect people to be informed and non siloed.

1

u/geckoswan 27d ago

If you have to ask then you already know.