Trump and Hegseth summon 800 generals to Quantico in push for ‘warrior ethos

QUANTICO, Va. – Sept. 30, 2025 – President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday addressed an extraordinary, short-notice gathering of hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals at Marine Corps Base Quantico, pitching a sweeping return to what Hegseth called a tougher “warrior ethos” and stricter standards across the armed forces.

The event — unprecedented in size and scope in recent memory — drew senior commanders and their top enlisted advisers from posts across the globe, with security tightened at the sprawling Northern Virginia base and the tiny, encircled town of Quantico bracing for disruptions. Trump and Hegseth summon 800 generals to Quantico, filling the auditorium draped with a giant American flag and service banners, where officers arrived in service dress and were seated by branch as the president and his Pentagon chief prepared to speak.

Trump framed his appearance as an effort to boost “esprit de corps,” telling NBC in advance it would be “a very nice meeting” about how well the military is doing. Vice President JD Vance had sought to downplay the significance, but multiple defense analysts and foreign counterparts noted how unusual it was to call so many flag officers to Washington rather than convene them virtually. “As far as my 49 years of service, I’ve never seen that before,” said NATO Military Committee chair Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, according to one account.

Hegseth, who has pushed to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War a change Congress has not approved used the stage to announce a flurry of directives aimed at reversing what he described as “decades of decay.” He said every combat job would revert to “the highest male standard only,” that combat arms units would face a new “combat field test,” and that “war-fighters in combat jobs” must take gender-neutral, age-normed tests scored above 70 percent. He pledged daily physical training for troops on duty and twice-a-year fitness tests, adding pointedly that he was tired of seeing “fat troops” and even “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”

“The era of politically correct, overly sensitive, don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now,” Hegseth said, promising a “ruthless, dispassionate and common-sense application of standards.” He cast his moves as “ending the war on warriors,” and railed against what he called “social justice, politically correct and toxic ideological garbage,” declaring: “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship, no more division, distraction or gender delusions… We are done with that” using an expletive to underscore the point.

Hegseth’s Hardline Message and Viral “FAFO” Remark

During the Quantico gathering, Hegseth’s rhetoric drew sharp attention — particularly his blunt warning to adversaries. His use of the acronym “FAFO” quickly spread online, with many readers and viewers curious about its meaning.

What does FAFO mean?
FAFO is short for “F Around and Find Out”*. The phrase, common in internet slang, serves as a direct warning: reckless or provocative actions will eventually meet harsh consequences. A softer alternative sometimes used is “Fool Around and Find Out.”

Beyond his viral moment, Hegseth doubled down on enforcing stricter standards across the military. He emphasized that combat roles would be held to the “highest male standard only” and openly dismissed what he described as an era of “politically correct leadership” within the armed forces.

The defense secretary also said the Pentagon would revisit how it defines “toxic leadership,” arguing the term had been weaponized against commanders enforcing standards. “If that makes me toxic, then so be it,” he said.

The spectacle- televised and assembled on short notice – came amid continuing tumult inside the department. Hegseth has fired more than a dozen senior leaders since taking office, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy, and Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the U.S. representative to NATO’s military committee. He is also expected to reduce the number of three- and four-star billets, thinning the upper ranks.

The scale of the Quantico convocation drew criticism from former officials and lawmakers who questioned the cost, the operational disruption of pulling commanders from active theaters, and the security risk of concentrating so much senior leadership in one place. “It is mystifying why this was not done virtually,” said one defense scholar, while two Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee called the gathering “absurd” given its price tag and risks.

Still, many in uniform listened in silence – consistent with military custom at political events – as Hegseth laid out a back-to-basics agenda: stricter height and weight requirements, daily PT, grooming standards including a ban on beards for men, and merit-based promotions he argued had been diluted by quotas and “historic firsts.” He offered a new “war department golden rule” to the audience: lead the units as if your own child served in them.

Outside the base, Quantico’s everyday rhythms were interrupted as law enforcement funneled visitors and media to designated areas, and local businesses navigated a surge in foot traffic and street closures. “Q-Town,” as locals call it, is entirely surrounded by the Marine installation, and residents described a day that was busier and tenser than most.

The meeting unfolded as the administration faced unrelated political crosswinds in Washington. A midnight deadline to fund the government loomed with no breakthrough after Trump met congressional leaders on Monday, raising the prospect that key economic data including Friday’s jobs report – could be delayed in a shutdown. And abroad, Iranian officials said a U.S.-chartered flight carrying deported Iranians was en route to Tehran via Qatar, signaling a rare moment of cooperation between Washington and Tehran even as rights groups condemned the removals.

What happens next inside the Pentagon is less clear. Hegseth’s proposed renaming of the department requires congressional action, and several of his personnel and structural changes will likely face legal, legislative, or internal policy scrutiny. But by hauling much of the flag-officer corps into one room, the secretary sought to signal unmistakably that the center of gravity at the Pentagon is shifting – back, he says, to war-fighting over what he derides as “distractions.”

Whether the changes will produce a fitter, more lethal force or drain morale and politicize the ranks – now becomes the next contested front. As one retired general wrote ahead of the gathering, the most powerful message the military may send, for now, is the disciplined silence of professionals whose oath is to the Constitution, not to any one man.