Throughout a recorded, on-camera deal with from the Pentagon at the moment, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned his priorities of strengthening the army by reducing fiscal fraud, waste and abuse at DOD whereas additionally discovering methods to refocus the division’s funds.
Hegseth started his remarks stating the Protection Division owes the American individuals transparency associated to steps DOD is taking to perform its mission whereas being good stewards of taxpayer {dollars}.
“We shoot straight with you. We would like you, the American individuals — the taxpayers — to know why we’re making the selections that we’re making right here,” Hegseth stated, including that DOD is working as shortly as doable to execute the priorities of reaching peace by power by rebuilding the army, restoring the warrior ethos and reestablishing deterrence.
Previous to getting in-depth on points associated to the division’s funds, Hegseth cautioned viewers to take something they’ve heard and/or learn on the subject with a “gigantic grain of salt.”
“Ever since I’ve taken this place, the one factor I’ve cared about is doing proper by our service members — troopers, sailors, Marines, airmen and guardians,” Hegseth stated.” In brief, we wish the most important, most badass army on the planet.”
Hegseth then touched on three areas associated to the Pentagon’s funds.
First, Hegseth stated to sort out extra spending and deal with the difficulty of fraud, waste and abuse inside DOD, the division can be counting on the not too long ago established Division of Authorities Effectivity.
“[DOGE is] right here, and they’ll be included into what we’re doing at DOD to search out fraud, waste and abuse within the largest discretionary funds within the federal authorities,” Hegseth stated.
He added that DOGE can be given entry to methods — with correct safeguards and classifications — to first discover redundancies and establish earlier priorities not core to the division’s present mission after which do away with them.
“With DOGE, we’re focusing as a lot as we are able to on headquarters and fats and top-line stuff that enables us to reinvest elsewhere,” Hegseth stated.
He then pivoted to the subject of reorienting the protection funds inherited from the earlier administration.
Hegseth stated starting instantly, the Pentagon will pull 8% — or roughly $50 billion — from nonlethal packages within the present funds and refocus that cash on President Donald J. Trump’s “America First” priorities for nationwide protection.
“That is not a lower; it is refocusing and reinvesting present funds into constructing the power that protects you, the American individuals,” Hegseth stated.
He additionally stated there are particular areas the place funds is not going to be refocused — border safety, combating transnational prison organizations, nuclear modernization, submarine packages, missile protection, drone expertise, cybersecurity, core readiness and coaching and the protection industrial base amongst them.
The secretary then turned to his third subject: the reevaluation of the Protection Division’s probationary workforce.
Hegseth pushed again on latest reviews that DOD would do across-the-board cuts of all probationary staff.
He stated leaders are reevaluating probationary staff “fastidiously and well,” and future manning choices can be primarily based, partially, on high quality of efficiency.
“We’re beginning [cuts] with the poor performers amongst our probationary staff as a result of it is common sense that you really want the very best and brightest,” Hegseth stated.
“So, if you take a look at headcount, we will be considerate; however we’re additionally going to be aggressive up and down the chain to search out the locations the place we are able to guarantee the very best and brightest are promoted primarily based on advantage,” he continued.
Hegseth added DOD will implement a hiring freeze to take time to establish higher hiring practices as they relate to discovering probably the most “laborious charging” staff which are central to the division’s core warfighting mission.
The secretary completed his remarks by returning to the subject of transparency and the worth he sees in speaking on to the individuals.
“Our warfighters and taxpayers deserve no much less, and we’ll hold reporting again to you sometimes on what we’re seeing,” Hegseth stated.
“We recognize your help as we transfer out … on making our army as soon as once more into probably the most deadly, badass power on the planet to maintain our nation protected.”
