In "The Art of War," Chinese military general and strategist Sun Tzu wrote, "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."
It's 2025 now, and I don't want war, but I want to live in an America with a military that embodies a victorious warrior spirit all the same. This is the best way to deter war and be prepared when it inevitably occurs.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, formerly the secretary of Defense, gave a speech on Sept. 30 to hundreds of senior military leaders gathered that I hope will inspire such a spirit again. I'm glad he is instilling this mindset across the 1.3 million active-duty members of the U.S. military. We need it.
In his speech, Hegseth said that there are "thousands" of variables in combat, but that leaders can only control training, equipment and leadership.
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