The secretary of defense has gone on a nationwide tour, meeting with enlisted personnel and defense contractors—an unconventional move that has raised eyebrows elsewhere in the Pentagon.

Pete Hegseth continues to prove that he is a different kind of Secretary of Defense—or, in his mind, the “Secretary of War” at the newly-christened “Department of War.” (For the record, the Pentagon’s official name remains “Department of Defense” as it would require an act of Congress to officially change.)

Since taking the post nearly a year ago, Hegseth has sought to remove anything remotely perceived as “woke,” while remaining focused on promoting a “warrior ethos” within the United States Armed Forces.

The former Fox News host, who received a commission in the Minnesota National Guard after completing the Army ROTC program at Princeton, was narrowly confirmed as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense in January 2025, after a 51-50 vote that required Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote. Three Republican senators—Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine—voted against his confirmation.

Hegseth’s “Arsenal of Freedom” Tour: Hanging Out with the Troops

The secretary regularly posts videos showing him working out in the early morning hours with active-duty, reserve, or even ROTC troops—something that has won him favor within the MAGA movement. However, critics argue that it isn’t in the SECDEF’s job description to do push-ups and go for runs. The US military has long discouraged officers from maintaining close camaraderie with enlisted personnel, as it can harm the chain of command and create actual or perceived favoritism, which in turn can hurt morale.

Despite such concerns, Hegseth has begun what he describes as the “Arsenal of Freedom Tour,” which has focused on engaging with service members throughout the US military while also seeking to reinforce connections with the country’s industrial base.

Accordingly, earlier this month, Hegseth joined the crew aboard the Pre-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), the second Gerald R. Ford-class supercarrier now under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding in Norfolk, Virginia. During the visit, the secretary met with sailors over lunch and discussed numerous topics, including the capabilities of the carrier, which is now on track to be handed over to the United States Navy in March 2027.

“This ship will be serving presidents and the American people for the next 50 years as a power projection platform,” said Hegseth. “While we are here we will not stop, we will not hold back, we will do everything we can to give you everything you need as fast as possible to ensure we revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence.”

Hegseth Visited Lockheed Martin—and Praised the F-35

The most recent leg of Hegseth’s tour was on Monday, when he visited Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 Lightning II production facility. The secretary toured the assembly line and then met with executives and employees from the world’s largest defense company.

Hegseth personally addressed more than 600 of the aerospace and defense giant’s 19,000 Fort Worth employees at Air Force Plant 4.

“Thank you for accepting and grasping the challenge of President Trump as well as our department,” Hegseth said. “Thank you all so much for what you do, for why you’re doing it. We are shoulder to shoulder with you because we can’t deter the next conflict without the skills and capabilities you have.”

He further praised the capabilities of the F-35, which remains the most successful fifth-generation stealth fighter, with more than 1,300 delivered to the US military, its allies, and partners worldwide. Hegseth credited those on the assembly line building the aircraft and the personnel around the globe who contribute to the aircraft’s mission.

“It’s not just the door kickers and the guys dropping bombs,” Hegseth explained. “It’s not just the intel analysts and the mechanics all wearing camouflage that are critically important to our nation. It is all of you and the thousands of people that you represent, who have dedicated your lives to precision, to skill, to work in a hard hat, to deliver capabilities for the warfighter.”

Still, even as Hegseth offered praise, he also emphasized that the Pentagon under his leadership would not be “focused” on any “brand names”—meaning that the close ties that existed in the past between the Pentagon and large defense contractors may also be a thing of the past. That partially explains why Lockheed Martin wasn’t selected as the winner of the US Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, which Boeing won instead.

“We ultimately don’t care what the name is on the side of the missile or the plane or of anything that’s made at the War Department,” Hegseth suggested. “We just want the best, and our expectation is that every company competes, and every company competes on a level playing field.”

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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