Hegseth arrives for 1st day at Pentagon stressing Defense's mission to protect 'sovereign territory of the US'

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived for his archetypal time astatine the Pentagon connected Monday with a connection regarding the Department of Defense's (DOD's) mission. 

Greeted by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and a gaggle of reporters, Hegseth said it was "an grant to service connected behalf of the president and service connected behalf of the country," adding, "The warfighters are acceptable to go." 

Hegseth rapidly turned to the borderline crisis, acknowledging however President Donald Trump was "hitting the crushed running" with enforcement orders declaring an exigency astatine the confederate borderline and designating cartels overseas violent organizations. Hegseth said the DOD "snapped to" past week successful sending much troops to assistance successful erecting barriers on the confederate border, arsenic good arsenic to "ensure wide deportations," adding: "That is thing the Defense Department perfectly volition proceed to do." 

"He's made it precise clear. There is an exigency astatine the border," Hegseth said. "The extortion of the sovereign territory of the United States is the occupation of the Defense Department." 

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives astatine the Pentagon connected Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Last week, the Defense Department announced 1,500 active-duty work members and "additional aerial and quality assets" were being sent to the confederate border "to augment troops already conducting enforcement operations successful that region."

When asked if much troops would beryllium deployed to the borderline present that helium is taking the helm, Hegseth said, "Whatever is needed astatine the borderline volition beryllium provided. Whether that is done authorities progressive duty, Title 32 oregon Title 10, due to the fact that we are reorienting." 

"This is simply a shift. This is not the mode things person been done successful the past," Hegseth said. "The Defense Department volition enactment the defence of the territorial integrity of the United States astatine the confederate borderline to see reservists, National Guard and progressive work with compliance with the Constitution, the laws of our land, and the directives of the commandant successful chief." 

Hegseth, a combat veteran who deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan, said helium anticipated much enforcement orders from the White House aboriginal Monday. Those would see orders to region diversity, equity and inclusion wrong the Pentagon, reinstate troops who were "pushed out" implicit COVID-19 vaccine mandates and to instrumentality the operation of an "Iron Dome for America," Hegseth told reporters, vowing to comply with Trump's directives "rapidly and quickly." 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, halfway right, talks to members of the property aft arriving astatine the Pentagon connected Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 successful Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

"Every infinitesimal I americium present I americium reasoning astir the guys and gals successful Guam, successful Germany, successful Fort Benning, successful Fort Bragg, connected rocket defence sites and craft carriers," Hegseth said. "Our occupation is lethality and readiness and warfighting." 

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"We clasp radical accountable. I cognize the president agrees with that," Hegseth, who astir precocious was a Fox News big earlier Trump nominated him to pb the Defense Department, continued. "The lawful orders of the President of the United States volition beryllium executed successful this Defense Department swiftly and without excuse. We volition beryllium nary amended person to our allies and nary stronger adversary for those who privation to trial america and effort us." 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, pats Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. connected his enarthrosis arsenic helium answers questions from reporters aft arriving astatine the Pentagon connected Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 successful Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

When asked astir a wristband helium was wearing, Hegseth said helium wore it each time to retrieve Jorge Oliveira, a worker helium served with successful Guantánamo Bay erstwhile helium was a platoon leader. Oliveira was aboriginal killed successful Afghanistan portion Hegseth was determination successful a abstracted unit. 

"It's these guys that we bash this for. Those who person fixed the eventual sacrifice," Hegseth said. 

The caput was besides asked astir assistance for Afghans who worked with the U.S. government. Last week, Trump issued an enforcement bid pausing each U.S. overseas improvement assistance for 90 days pending an appraisal into whether the funds align with his administration's overseas policy. Reuters reported that flights for astir 40,000 Afghans who were approved for peculiar visas pursuing erstwhile President Joe Biden's botched withdrawal have been suspended arsenic a result. 

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"We are going to marque definite determination is accountability for what happened successful Afghanistan, and we basal by our allies," Hegseth said.