Hegseth Wants Basic to Go Old School. What Policies Must Change First?
Oct. 14, 2025 | By Matthew Cox
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants the military services to return to old-school discipline at basic training—with instructors “tossing bunks” and “putting their hands on recruits.” But first the services will have to rewrite the policies governing training instructors, which disallowed such practices over the past few decades.
Hegseth’s drive to “restore warrior ethos” across the U.S. military includes rewinding the clock on the kindler, gentler approaches that began in the 1990s and dialed back hardcore discipline in the years that followed. At an unprecedented all-call for general officers Sept. 30, Hegseth told hundreds of senior military leaders that the cultural changes he envisions must begin at Basic Military Training.
“We’re empowering drill sergeants to instill healthy fear in new recruits, ensuring that future warfighters are forged,” he said. “They can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits. This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried and true methods to motivate new recruits, to make them the warriors they need to be.”
Each of the armed services is responsible for implementing the changes, altering its own written policies and training to make that possible. No details have been shared publicly on next steps. Indeed, while the Pentagon issued a flurry of memos directing other initiatives Hegseth shared his speech, none concerned basic training. An Air Force spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine that, for now, Air Education and Training Command’s policies on the conduct of military training instructors remain in place.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/hegseth-wants-basic-to-go-old-school-what-policies-must-change-first/
