Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a “field manual” to U.S. service members filled with transcripts of his own speeches and a pledge from President Donald Trump to avoid “dumb wars,” according to a new report.
The 144-page manual was handed out to roughly 600 troops attending Hegseth’s “State of the Force” address in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, ABC News’ Steven Beynon reported.
Included in the book is the transcript of Hegseth’s September 2025 address on restoring the “warrior ethos.” In that address, the defense secretary said: “Good morning and welcome to the War Department. Because the era of the Department of Defense is over.”
Also encased in the manual is Hegseth’s January 2026 speech on “technological dominance” in which he hailed Elon Musk and SpaceX as “a testament to the strength of American ingenuity.”
At the beginning of the manual is a forward penned by Trump, which carries the tone of a Truth Social post.
“Our goal is PEACE, which is why we prepare for War — Especially the Wars of the future,” the forward states, according to Beynon.
“As your Commander-in-Chief, I will not ask you to fight dumb Wars,” it continues. “I will unleash you to be violent, lethal and unstoppable — and I will always have your back. Godspeed, Great Warriors. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
During Hegseth’s address on Wednesday, he unveiled a series of changes at the Pentagon while also railing against journalists and DEI initiatives.
He announced that the military will cut 20 percent of its admirals and generals, and urged Congress to provide further funding for the department. “President Trump has promised a generational investment in the War Department, and we’re going to deliver,” he said.
The defense secretary further took aim at members of the American media for what he described as their biased coverage of the Iran war, which has stretched on for nearly seven months with no clear end in sight.
“Allow me to lay it out simply for the anti-American losers in our media,” Hegseth said. “As you know, the information space, it’s a battle space. Yet our so-called press makes Iranian state media look reasonable.”
“The ideological clowns are out,” he added. “The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top. Diversity is not our strength.”