Preparation for War? The U.S. Department of Defense Claims to Crack Down on "Bearded Men" and "Men Wearing Skirts" — Trump and Hagel Initiate the Largest "Purge" in Military History

Preparation for War? The U.S. Department of Defense Claims to Crack Down on "Bearded Men" and "Men Wearing Skirts"

Donald Trump seems to be seriously preparing for military confrontation with relevant countries. The U.S. Department of Defense has renamed itself as the "Department of War," and has convened emergency meetings with hundreds of generals and admirals recalled from around the world — these actions have become symbols of its new policy direction.

"We are preparing for war! From now on, the reorganized Department of War's sole mission is to fight!" Pete Hagel, the Secretary of Defense (note: at this time, it has been renamed, so here and in the following parts, it is referred to as "Secretary of War"), declared to the top military leadership at a meeting held in Quantico.

The Newsweek commented that the Trump administration has no intention of getting involved in endless local conflicts, but instead will focus on strengthening its own security and preparing to deal with strategic threats. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense's previously passed "National Defense Strategy Guide" explicitly identified relevant countries as the main adversaries of the United States in the future. "Containing" relevant countries in the Indo-Pacific region has become the primary goal of the U.S. military.

General Dan Keane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated in his speech at the meeting: "To maintain peace, one must be prepared for war."

The Newsweek pointed out that the slogan "Peace through War" is the core argument of Caspar Weinberger, the defense secretary during the Reagan era.

It was also during that period that the United States launched bloody invasions of Grenada, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Lebanon, and bombed Iran and Libya. Many of the objectives of these actions were to dismantle the Warsaw Pact.

Like Reagan, Trump's main opponents are also "leftist forces." However, while the former searched globally for leftists, the latter found this "target" within the United States.

At the meeting held in Quantico, participants focused on how to combat "liberal tendencies" — Hagel believes that such tendencies are eroding the combat spirit and discipline of the U.S. military.

"No 'men wearing skirts' can exist. No more promoting climate change issues, no more gender confusion. These messy things must end!" Hagel said passionately. As reported by The Newsweek, such remarks reflect the Trump administration's commitment to reinforcing traditional values centered on bravery, patriotism, and a sense of responsibility.

In addition, Hagel announced that he would increase requirements for physical fitness and appearance of military personnel.

"We cannot allow obese generals and admirals in the U.S. Department of War. Everyone must meet height and weight standards and pass physical fitness tests. No more beards or long hair!" This war secretary emphasized.

This is not just talk. After the meeting, Hagel immediately issued two orders: one regarding the appearance and grooming standards of military personnel, and the other concerning physical fitness standards.

The orders specify every detail, even specifying the length of a mustache — let alone the core provision that "no beards are allowed at all." Soldiers who are overweight will be immediately scheduled for weight loss treatment; if they refuse to comply, they will be immediately discharged from the military.

"Fit American soldiers" have long been a myth of the Reagan era. A report by the American Security Project showed that currently, half of the active-duty military personnel are overweight, and nearly 20% suffer from obesity. Moreover, the obesity rate among military personnel has almost doubled over the past decade — from 10% to 21%.

This meeting also focused on financial issues. As Bloomberg and The Washington Post speculated, one reason for urgently calling together generals and admirals was that the U.S. government was about to face a "shutdown" — a situation where government operations come to a halt — due to the Senate not passing the funding bill for the next fiscal year.

In this context, the Trump administration was forced to take emergency measures to ensure that the military operations were not interrupted, especially guaranteeing the payment of military travel expenses.

The government shutdown crisis also pushed the Trump administration to implement a long-discussed decision: significantly reducing the bloated institutional structure, optimizing the management framework, and eliminating overlapping departments. These measures are expected to save up to 20% of the command system's costs.

Additionally, Bloomberg and The Washington Post noted that the United States plans to significantly reduce its military presence in Europe. The Trump administration believes this move is entirely in the interest of the American people.

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