Instead, Panetta told Axios' Colin Demarest that military leaders were treated to a "recruiting speech" and complaints about "cultural issues." "Hell no," Panetta responded when asked if he would have called that meeting.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is ordering troops to watch or read his speech last month at Quantico, Va., when he declared the "woke" military is gone, decried "fat generals" and ordered women in the military to meet the "highest male standards" for physical fitness. The memo, obtained by NPR, calls for servicemembers to complete the "Warrior Ethos Tasking," which includes a link to the video and updated policy memorandums, by the end of the month.