'Wokeness' Is Out... The Warrior Ethos Returns
No more diversity czars. No more pronoun seminars. No more combat readiness taking a backseat to social experiments. The Department of Defense has returned to its roots as the Department of War — in name, spirit, and mission.
OP-ED: The Return of the Warrior Ethos By Patriot One
They finally said it out loud. In a speech delivered at Marine Corps Base Quantico, on Tuesday Sept. 30, 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed what many of us have been hoping, praying, and fighting for since the culture rot took hold of our armed forces: The warrior is back.
No more diversity czars. No more pronoun seminars. No more combat readiness taking a backseat to social experiments. The Department of Defense has returned to its roots as the Department of War — in name, spirit, and mission.
I, for one, cannot be happier! As a vet who fought in Panama (Operation Just Cause) and Desert Storm, I watched our fighting forces go from dominant, 'shock and awe' troops who arrived violently, to a soft, corporate HR department in camo.
I watched as "command" became more concerned with the feelings of their troops than their combat capability.
I watched as our troops steadily got weaker under the Obama and Biden Administrations and could no longer overwhelm the enemy.
This speech stirred something deep. This was motivation I haven't felt on a level in 30 years. This isn’t just a policy pivot — it’s a course correction for a fighting force that had been drifting off mission.
Secretary Hegseth didn’t mince words. He laid out 10 directives that signal a return to sanity:
- Restore the Warrior Ethos
- Reinstating the military’s core identity as a warfighting force — not a social experiment.
- Eliminate All DEI Programs
- Complete dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices, trainings, and related initiatives across all branches.
- Reinstate Physical Standards from the 1990s
- Ending gender-normed testing and returning to a unified standard of combat readiness.
- Reinforce Grooming and Appearance Regulations
- No more beards, woke grooming allowances, or relaxed dress codes — discipline in appearance reflects discipline in mission. If you want to wear a beard, become a badass and join Special Forces.
- Empower Commanders and NCOs
- Decentralizing authority back into the hands of leaders on the ground — where decisions are made in real time.
- Rebuild Warfighting Culture in Academies
- Curriculum overhaul at West Point, Annapolis, and Air Force Academy — focus on strategy, strength, and country over ideology.
- Purge Civilian Bureaucratic Bloat
- Cutting unnecessary civilian staff embedded in combat commands and restoring warfighter-led structure.
- Reprioritize Combat Training Over Sensitivity Training
- Field readiness and lethality take precedence — training time will no longer be wasted on ideological programs.
- Honor Combat Veterans and Traditional Ranks
- Prioritize combat experience and battlefield leadership in promotions and advisory roles. Merit-based promotions only.
- Revive the Oath to the Constitution — Not Politics
- Reinforcing that service is to the Constitution and the Republic — not to partisan agendas or global alliances.
It’s not just about policy — it’s about principle. The military isn’t a playground for ideological experiments. It’s a lethal force designed to protect this Republic. And it should look like one, act like one, and by all means, fight like one.
This generation of warriors deserves the same grit-forging conditions many of us came up under — the kind that build trust, loyalty, and capability under fire. Those standards weren’t just tradition — they were preparation for reality.
We’ve spent over a decade watching our military become a testing ground for the Left’s ideological fantasies. Now, with Trump back as Commander in Chief and leaders like Hegseth at the helm of the War Department, we’re watching the cleanup begin.
This is what it looks like when the Republic reclaims its spine.
To the young men and women considering service — you’re walking into something worthy again. To the veterans who thought the soul of the military was lost — take heart. The warrior ethos is being restored. The brotherhood is coming back.
And to the enemies of this Republic, both foreign and domestic — be advised. The sleeping giant isn’t just awake. He’s putting his boots back on.
I’ve never wanted to re-enlist more than I do right now...
If only I was younger...
Full transcript and video of Secretary Hegseth’s Quantico speech available HERE https://youtu.be/7TFtVZnQWjc?si=c1Re7ZJIqAER5Y_I
