On 18/12, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed top recruiting officers at the Pentagon, announcing the military achieved "historic recruitment figures" under President Donald Trump's administration, yet acknowledging ongoing challenges.

Hegseth elaborated on these challenges, stating: "Achieving this was not easy, given the fundamental factors influencing recruitment. Many young Americans are either too obese or, rather than 'too stupid', simply not educated properly. Additionally, some have criminal records, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or other issues."

He attributed increasing enlistment to President Trump's administration policies, adding that young Americans seek to join a "fighting force, not a woke organization."

The term "woke" describes an increased awareness of societal prejudices, including racism, gender discrimination, or bias against the LGBTQ+ community.

Physical fitness has been a central focus for Hegseth since becoming Pentagon leader. The US defense secretary previously competed in a pull-up challenge with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and, in a September meeting with military leaders, criticized "fat generals."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaking at the Pentagon on 18/12. *Photo: US DoD*

During the meeting, Hegseth introduced 10 directives. These aim to elevate physical standards, remove overweight service members, enforce strict appearance regulations, mandate that combat forces meet "male standards," and eradicate "woke ideology" from the military.

US enlistment numbers saw a significant rise even before Trump's presidential inauguration in January, with all military branches meeting their fiscal year 2024 recruitment targets. This marked a substantial improvement from two years earlier, when the US Army only reached 75% of its goal.

This positive trend is attributed to factors like the subsiding Covid-19 pandemic and initiatives such as the Army's Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which helps participants improve physical assessment scores.

The positive trend continued after Trump's return to the White House. On 18/12, the Pentagon reported the highest number of military enlistments in 15 years, with all service branches again meeting their fiscal year 2025 recruitment goals.