Pete Hegseth confirms DEI will be removed from military as he arrives at Pentagon for first day on his new job – The Times of India

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at the Pentagon for the first time Monday on his first day on the job hours after confirming that his department will comply to Donald Trump’s executive order against DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion). “The President’s guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at Dept. of Defense,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a post on X.
In a handwritten note shared along with the post on X, Hegseth wrote: “The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays.” Hegseth added that “those who do not comply will no longer work here.”

The 44-year-old ex-military man was sworn in Saturday morning following his nail-biting senate confirmation for which vice president JD Vance had to use his special vote. “All praise and glory to God. His will be done and we’re grateful to be here,” Hegseth said after taking the oath of office, surrounded by his wife and children.

As he reached the Pentagon Monday morning, he said, “Every moment that I’m here, I’m thinking about the guys and gals in Guam, in Germany, in Fort Benning, and Fort Bragg, on missile defense sites, and aircraft carriers. Our job is lethality and readiness and warfighting.”
According to a New York Post report, Donald Trump is expected to sign two executive orders today prohibiting transgender service members and elimination DEI programs from the military. Trump had signed an order on his first day in office revoking the Biden administration’s 2021 directive that allowed trans people to serve openly in the military, but the incoming EOs will go further.
The Department of Defense is directed to make and implement the policy after Trump signs the order. “Unit cohesion requires high levels of integrity and stability among service members,” a White House document previewing the order on transgender soldiers reads, as reported by NYP.

No transgernder in military

There can be “no accommodation for anything less than resilience, strength, and the ability to withstand extraordinary physical demands,” the document says.
“Individuals who are unable to meet these requirements are unable to serve in the military. This has been the case for decades,” the document says.
“It can take a minimum of 12 months for an individual to complete treatments after transition surgery, which often involves the use of heavy narcotics. During this period, they are not physically capable of meeting military readiness requirements and require ongoing medical care. This is not conducive for deployment or other readiness requirements.”