‘Warrior ethos’ mistakes military might for true security − and ignores the wisdom of Eisenhower

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Monica Duffy Toft , Tufts University

(THE CONVERSATION) Hundreds of generals and admirals converged on Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 30, 2025, after being summoned from across the globe by their boss, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, for a session that, as expected, covered what Hegseth often describes as the “ warrior ethos .”

Listening quietly, they heard Hegseth promise to make the military “stronger, tougher, faster, fiercer and more powerful than it has ever been before,” and declare that he would fix “ decades of decay ” in the military.

President Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour in a political speech that derided presidents who came before him. He asserte