Here’s my thoughts on the 30 Sep 2025 commander’s call for senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Initially, SECDEF Hegseth called the meeting for himself only to address the military leaders, but when President Trump got wind of it, he naturally inserted himself in as the final speaker, because, you know, Don loves a good rally.
From a military context, here are my main concerns:
Partisan rhetoric: Strong criticism of Joe Biden, political framing, naming out political opponents, campaign‑style language. This is all improper in front of a military audience, which is foundationally non-political.
Domestication of military role: Proposals to use military in U.S. cities, as “training grounds,” to quell unrest. This is antithetical to the purpose of the military, except in extreme circumstances. The Posse Comitatus Act, passed in 1878, is a cornerstone of American civil-military relations and was enacted to prevent the military from being used as a domestic police force, except in very limited circumstances.
Internal “enemy” rhetoric: Use of terms like “enemy within,” “invasion from within,” suggesting domestic groups as adversaries.
Loosening rules of engagement / violence rhetoric: “Untie the hands,” “hunt and kill,” “punishing violence” language (Hegseth words). Rules of engagement should be consistent with end state objectives in mind. It’s not just about “breaking things and killing people.” Protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure is part of complying with the Geneva Conventions. The US military, unlike the Russian military, is rightly admired for its adherence to international law. As an Air Force guy, this comes not just in ROE, but also important subjective calls in target selection and corresponding ordinance used to attack. Strike missions are always reviewed for legality in terms of proportionality and weighing military necessity against collateral damage to civilians and civilian infrastructure. Hegseth and Trump talk as if adherence to international law is not needed anymore. That would be a big mistake.
Institutional overhaul rhetoric: Denouncing “woke” policies, identity programs, DEI, implying purge or transformation of internal culture. Agree, some of this DEI stuff went too far, but this MAGA crowd thinks anytime a woman or minority exists in a leadership position, they didn’t really earn it, which is wrong and harmful. And Hegseth talks as if women, in general, are a detriment to the US military. This shows a basic lack of understanding about the requirements for fighting on a modern battlefield, and wrongly belittles contributions by American women in our military. I just don’t get it.
Overall, I’m glad this meeting was called, because it gave our senior military leaders a chance to see first-hand the incompetence of their civilian leaders. Hegseth came off like the polished Fox News host he is, talking up fitness, lambasting fat generals, calling to unshackle our warfighters from pesky rules; but Hegseth did little to impress as a serious military leader. As far as President Trump, I doubt any of those in the crowd had actually listened to the long-winded and winding entirety of a Trump campaign speech, but they were forced to hear the entirety of his ramblings on this day. Trump came off like the unhinged idiot he is, and I’m glad our military leaders were forced to experience him in all his glory. The stone-faced silence Trump received was in standing with our military’s non-partisan tradition. Just as well for Trump, or he might have been booed off the stage by this group of highly educated professionals, who know a bullshit artist when the hear one.
Now comes the hard part for these military leaders — returning to their commands and explaining what it all means to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen around the world who have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, and now stand duty in an increasingly unstable world, under the command of an increasingly unstable commander-in-chief.
Good luck, America!
Waipahu Bob 