HOMEPAGE Politics Pete Hegseth Gives US Troops New Marching Orders Hours After Confirmation SIR YES SIR! Liam Archacki Breaking News Intern Published Jan. 25 2025 7:06PM EST fb icon twitter icon email icon reddit icon Pete Hegseth. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images Pete Hegseth ordered America’s troops to “put America first” and “never back down” in a “message to the force” hours after his razor-thin confirmation as Defense Secretary. In a press release published by the Pentagon on Saturday after his swearing-in ceremony, Hegseth wrote, “The President gave us a clear mission: achieve Peace through Strength. We will do this in three ways—by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.” “We are American warriors,” he continued. “We will defend our country. Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear. The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.” All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness,” the former Fox News host and veteran added.