Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense

[ChloeTzang]

I think Hegseth is out of his depth. However, in saying that, I would give him a chance.

I heard, secondhand through another military veteran, (a former navy officer, who heads up an anti-piracy think tank) that when he briefed Austin two years ago, he was prepared, knew his shit and had obviously done his homework.

He had the white paper underlined and highlighted. He’d done his homework. You might not have agreed with his policies, but he was extremely well prepared. Asked good questions and was very pointed with his time and excellent questions.

My friend is pretty conservative, but was quite impressed.

Like I said, I would give Hegseth a chance and see where it goes.

Yep. He graduated from Princeton and has a Masters from Harvard. He worked as a capital markets analyst at Bear Stearns and that's no job for dummies. He was Major in the Army and that takes some doing too. My husband was a Captain by time he got out and it's a tough job. Making Major is nothing to be sneezed at. You need to know your stuff. Ten years with Fox News has kept him in the spotlight and in front of people.

He's qualified, smart and conscientious.

As for drinking, which some here have snarked about, if you haven't been in the military, basically, STFU.

I don't think the media or the DC intelligentsia realize that to a lot of veterans, the fact that Pete Hegseth developed a drinking problem after coming home from the GWOT, and then BEAT that drinking problem, is a huge PLUS and is in no way a negative. Most veterans know too friends who came home from the wars with demons they could not defeat, who descended into substance abuse and could not get out--and then some of whom even took their own lives. My husband volunteers with an organization that helps veterans deal with this stuff.

Pete Hegseth understands what our military adventurism means in a fundamental way that the Liz Warrens and Mitch McConnell's (and most of you, too) of the world will NEVER get. Pete has been there, but beat it. Neither does he have any ties to the MIC, unlike Austin and pretty much all his predecessors. THAT is an even better thing. He's focused on the mission and the people, NOT where is next grift is coming from. He gave up a few million bucks a year to take this job - and you can't say that for Austin or many of his predecessors either.

Something else to consider is that he’s a blend of the 2 big archetypes you see in the military, which are in a lot of ways polar opposites . He’s both a rough around the edges grunt AND a polished “professional” with an impressive academic pedigree. He’s the guy that would be equally at home hanging out in the barracks with the boys on the weekend or discussing the inner workings of strategy and policy in the Pentagon.

He's the right man for the job.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Yep. He graduated from Princeton and has a Masters from Harvard. He worked as a capital markets analyst at Bear Stearns and that's no job for dummies. He was Major in the Army and that takes some doing too. My husband was a Captain by time he got out and it's a tough job. Making Major is nothing to be sneezed at. You need to know your stuff. Ten years with Fox News has kept him in the spotlight and in front of people.

He's qualified, smart and conscientious.

As for drinking, which some here have snarked about, if you haven't been in the military, basically, STFU.

I served in the military, Chloe, and Hegseth's drinking was far in excess of 99% of the heavy drinkers I knew when I served.

So you'll have to forgive me if I opt out of your request to STFU. Or don't forgive me, I don't care either way.

Here's a disturbing account of Hegseth's drinking adventures (it appears that Hegseth was continually drunk between 2013 and 2015.)

Where and when did you meet your husband? Did his drinking increase the second time he got passed over for Major? You seem to be the sort of officer's wife who proudly flouted her husband's rank, saw a lot of that in the service. "I am COMPANY COMMANDER'S WIFE" and all that. They probably hated seeing you coming at the PX.

I'm asking because the officer attrition rates during major actions in Iraq and Afghanistan were very very high. West Pointers recognized they were in a bone-grinding war of attrition and opted to punch out the moment their five year service commitment was up.

This had the net effect of marginable officers who would normally be passed over for promotion being bumped up in rank to fill an open billet (Majors aren't "hired off the streets" as you well know).

Same thing happened in Vietnam btw.

Pete Hegseth is, like your husband, not qualified to lead anything larger than a company.

 

[Rightguide]

See post #670, just a few up on this page -- that is not SecDef material.

Says you, the communist side of the Senate and three treasonous RINOS. The rest of the country who are aware disagrees.

 

[Rightguide]

I don't know if it has been mentioned in this thread and I'm not willing to scroll back continually on a day when Lace is shitposting like crazy, but Pete Hegseth was confirmed by the absolute slimmest of margins 51-50 today in the Senate. JD Vance was helicoptered in to cast the tie breaker vote.

He was confirmed by the majority.

 

[Lance_Castro]

https://icdn05.icegay.tv/63025/3151227_4.jpg

I served in the military

You were in the Discharge Unit at Fort Dicks, right?

Lol

 

[Rightguide]

I served in the military, Chloe, and Hegseth's drinking was far in excess of 99% of the heavy drinkers I knew when I served.

He was a warrior, you were probably hanging with fellow office pogues.

 

[RobDownSouth]

He was confirmed by the majority.

Yes, 51-50 is a majority, albeit the slimmest possible majority. Your grasp of math is getting better!

Three Republican Senators voted against him (Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, it seems they don't approve of workplace sexual predators, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky).

NC Senator Thom Tillis also swore he'd vote against Pete Hegseth, but after seeing the voting totals realized that HE would share the brunt of the MAGA wrath for Hegseth's defeat so he tucked his tail and voted in favor of Hegseth.

 

[RobDownSouth]

He was a warrior, you were probably hanging with fellow office pogues.

Did you serve in the military? Hmmm?

I can't recall if this iteration of your userid includes military service. I wish you'd be a tad more consisten.

 

[Lance_Castro]

Did you serve in the military? Hmmm?

I can't recall if this iteration of your userid includes military service. I wish you'd be a tad more consisten.

The point is, yours does.

Desert Storm, Special Flambe Waitstaff?

The good news is you can make something good up, Gomer.

Lol

 

[Rightguide]

Yes, 51-50 is a majority, albeit the slimmest possible majority. Your grasp of math is getting better!

Three Republican Senators voted against him (Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, it seems they don't approve of workplace sexual predators, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky).

All three are treasonous RINOS who will all be primaried and run out of the party. Mitch said he would vote for Pete but was obviously reinstructed by his wife and her CCP handlers.

NC Senator Thom Tillis also swore he'd vote against Pete Hegseth, but after seeing the voting totals realized that HE would share the brunt of the MAGA wrath for Hegseth's defeat so he tucked his tail and voted in favor of Hegseth.

He was smarter than the other three.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I served in the military, Chloe, and Hegseth's drinking was far in excess of 99% of the heavy drinkers I knew when I served.

So you'll have to forgive me if I opt out of your request to STFU. Or don't forgive me, I don't care either way.

Here's a disturbing account of Hegseth's drinking adventures (it appears that Hegseth was continually drunk between 2013 and 2015.)

Where and when did you meet your husband? Did his drinking increase the second time he got passed over for Major? You seem to be the sort of officer's wife who proudly flouted her husband's rank, saw a lot of that in the service. "I am COMPANY COMMANDER'S WIFE" and all that. They probably hated seeing you coming at the PX.

I'm asking because the officer attrition rates during major actions in Iraq and Afghanistan were very very high. West Pointers recognized they were in a bone-grinding war of attrition and opted to punch out the moment their five year service commitment was up.

This had the net effect of marginable officers who would normally be passed over for promotion being bumped up in rank to fill an open billet (Majors aren't "hired off the streets" as you well know).

Same thing happened in Vietnam btw.

Pete Hegseth is, like your husband, not qualified to lead anything larger than a company.

Well, if you've been in, I take that STFU back in your case. You know.

And no, I met my husband well after he got out. He did 2 tours in Afghanistan, the 2nd as a company commander, never got passed over because he'd had enough of it and bailed out. But all well before he met me. So I never got to do the military wifey thing and I'm not a throw my husband's weight around type anyhow. LOL. My granddad was in the Army and I heard enough stories about things like that.....

That said, my husband volunteers with veterans and I see some of this, so that part of it I understand. And I stand by what I said, Hegseth is not your run of the mill ex-Captain or Major, he's qualified, he's a smart guy, he's got over his problems, which I have also seen, and he'll do a good job of cleaning out the rot.

But in the end, the only proof is the end result. And he is now SecDef, so let's wait and see.

 

[Rightguide]

Did you serve in the military? Hmmm?

I can't recall if this iteration of your userid includes military service. I wish you'd be a tad more consisten.

I only have one userid and this is it. Follow the green sign in my AV and you'll be smarter and less hallucinogenic.

Now show me that link.

 

[RobDownSouth]

I only have one userid and this is it. Follow the green sign in my AV and you'll be smarter and less hallucinogenic.

Now show me that link.

You did not answer the question.

Did you serve in the American armed forces, yes or no?

 

[Rightguide]

You did not answer the question.

Did you serve in the American armed forces, yes or no?

No! My only connection to the government are the contracts I have worked on. Now show me the link.

 

[Lance_Castro]

https://kcet.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b008c1e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x643+0+0/resize/1416x474!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkcet-brightspot.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkl%2Ffiles%2Fthumbnails%2Fimage%2Fhave_kitchen_will_travel_ga_air_guard_supports_58th_presidential_inauguration_170119-z-xi378-055.jpgYou did not answer the question.

Did you serve in the American armed forces, yes or no?

rob served ( deep fried shrimp) with distinction!

 

[Rightguide]

rob served ( deep fried shrimp) with distinction!

If he served I respect his choice to do so in whatever capacity. Somebody has to peel and fry those shrimp.

 

[Lazaran]

Pete Hegseth is a disgrace to the military, a disgrace to America, and a disgrace to humanity.

Just like President Musk (and DonOld).

 

[Lance_Castro]

If he served I respect his choice to do so in whatever capacity. Somebody has to peel and fry those shrimp.

I think someone posted he was the lead kippumjo.

 

[RobDownSouth]

He was a warrior, you were probably hanging with fellow office pogues.

I get tickled at you and your "elk" attempting to use the word "warrior" or the phrase "warrior culture" to shut down discussion. (I saw Hegseth try to use that horseshit at his confirmation hearing too)

News flash: It doesn't work with me.

The bottom line: I served my country, you served McDonalds happy meals. We are not the same.

Having said that, a deal is a deal. You answered my question so I'm looking for the Riley Gaines rant. I saw it two days ago, and I haven't located it yet, but I will. That woman is a shitposter supreme...she is best described as "Lance_Castro with slightly smaller tits".

 

[RobDownSouth]

Okay I cannot locate the actual "woe is me and mine" instagram video by Gaines (she is truly a repulsive woman) but here is Fox News attempting to garner sympathy for Gaines' undocumented illegal husband

 

[icanhelp1]

I get tickled at you and your "elk" attempting to use the word "warrior" or the phrase "warrior culture" to shut down discussion. (I saw Hegseth try to use that horseshit at his confirmation hearing too)

News flash: It doesn't work with me.

The bottom line: I served my country, you served McDonalds happy meals. We are not the same.

Having said that, a deal is a deal. You answered my question so I'm looking for the Riley Gaines rant. I saw it two days ago, and I haven't located it yet, but I will. That woman is a shitposter supreme...she is best described as "Lance_Castro with slightly smaller tits".

So what did you do in the military?

 

[ChloeTzang]

Hegseth laid it on the line regarding DEI today.

I suspect heads will start to roll on Monday / Tuesday.

https://redstate.com/streiff/2025/0...s-crystal-clear-but-does-anyone-care-n2184834

 

[ChloeTzang]

Quite a few heads.....

Making our military great again. Recruiting is about to skyrocket.

 

[jomar]

Hegseth laid it on the line regarding DEI today.

I suspect heads will start to roll on Monday / Tuesday.

https://redstate.com/streiff/2025/0...s-crystal-clear-but-does-anyone-care-n2184834
View attachment 2478192

Man I wish he was a Marine instead of Army. The crayon jokes would be hilarious!

 

[Lance_Castro]

So what did you do in the military?

More like “who”.

View attachment 2478200