What to Know
Every time Pete Hegseth posts about the Department of War on X (formerly Twitter), an angel loses its wings. OK, just kidding. But maybe some of us lose a few brain cells. After his Nov. 17, 2025 video showcasing new training techniques to bring soldiers “back to basics” and entice others to join, some people commented that the video alone makes them want to do anything but join the United States Army.
And elsewhere on the internet, former soldiers who served their time and were even deployed shared their critique of Hegseth’s new protocols for training. In the video, Hegseth’s voice is heard as he explains new drill sergeants were brought on to “instill healthy fear in new recruits.” He also says that sergeants are permitted to put their hands on recruits as needed to “make them the warriors they need to be.” Warriors for what, you ask? I was asking myself the same thing.
Back to Basics. pic.twitter.com/xuygzuzQLR
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 18, 2025
Pete Hegseth claims the U.S. Army is going “back to basics.”
According to Hegseth in his X post and recruitment video for the U.S. Army, the idea is to go “back to basics.” This seems to mean basic training and rougher training tactics than soldiers experienced in the years leading up to Hegseth being named as secretary of war. His disembodied voice explains in the X video, “training is being restored to what it should be.”
Apparently, the previous long-term secretary of defense (remember when it was called the Department of Defense?) Lloyd Austin didn’t do enough to ready soldiers for the impending war. Again, what war is Hegseth expecting? Not sure, but it’s giving ‘I better shake things up so I look useful and don’t get let go from my super important and awesome position.’
Plenty of comments in the thread under the X post point to applause for Hegseth and his plans to keep “wokeness” out of the military. However, one user was quick to write, “This made me less motivated than ever to join the armed services.”
Someone else wrote that the video is “just optics for Pete Hegseth” and that the video is unlikely to do anything for recruitment numbers or the lackluster performances by current recruits and soldiers. Ouch.
Others commented to ask what war Hegseth is getting ready for. Is he readying soldiers to deploy them on the streets of America, a la the National Guard? Honestly, are we putting it past Donald Trump to do something like that at this point? Regardless of why Hegseth is switching things up with more rigorous training and handsy sergeants, the video isn’t exactly inspiring.
On a Reddit thread about the video, former soldiers commented to share their experiences with drill sergeants who hit them, and to explain they those tactics with those leaders were not effective compared to the sergeants who never laid their hands on them. They also theorized about potential abuse with Hegseth’s new protocols, or even lack thereof, in place, per the video.
“Who wants to take bets?” One user commented. “How long before DIs [drill sergeants] start abusing recruits and one ends up dead again?”
Another shared their story: “This DI would spit and slobber all on my food in the chow hall. I get they’re somehow ‘toughening up,’ but I didn’t need that and I didn’t need my food being spit on either.”
Whatever “basics” Hegseth wants to get back to with boot camp for prospective soldiers, it doesn’t sound like the way to go. But, then again, I think most of us kind of knew that already.
