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COLUMBUS, Ga. — During a trip to Fort Benning on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the department is working on re-establishing deterrence, “so that when the enemy sees an American, they don’t want to f— with us.”

The comments came after Hegseth spoke at an Officer Candidate School (OCS) graduation ceremony, where candidates were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army or ensigns in the Navy.

Following the ceremony, he made remarks at the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course luncheon — sharing stories about his children wanting Army Ranger shirts, and noting the proudest moment of his life would be saluting them if they earned it.

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