Autonomous Warfare Command

Owen West

Pentagon Launches Autonomous Warfare Command For Drones

Defense Secretary (Secretary of War) Pete Hegseth announced a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, nicknamed AutoWarCom, to speed the military’s acquisition of drones and artificial intelligence.

The command is meant to fix the thing everyone agrees is broken: the Pentagon buys autonomy far too slowly to keep pace with the fight.

The next war will be fought partly by machines, and the side that fields them fastest (and cheapest) wins. A dedicated command with its own authorities is Washington’s bet that the problem isn’t money or ideas, but a procurement system that cannot move at the speed of the technology.

The command is new and four-star. Hegseth said AutoWarCom will have “service-like authorities” to buy and field autonomous systems, with a four-star commander still to be named.

It stands up for over a year. An interim effort called Project Agincourt will run for roughly a year, with the formal command targeted for around October 2027.

The run-up has two leaders. Agincourt is led by Defense Innovation Unit director Owen West on strategy and resources, paired with Navy SEAL Senior Chief Max Strasiser on operational problem-solving. Senior Chief Strasiser is specifically responsible for operational problem-solving and integrating drone technology into the practical realities of frontline combat

China can turn out drones by the millions a year while American output is measured in the tens of thousands, and a single Chinese firm, DJI, holds roughly 70 percent of the world commercial drone market. The money fight, as above, is a Republican-on-Republican argument about whether to fund autonomy honestly in the base budget or through reconciliation, and the honest path is the one conservatives should back.

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Hegseth preparing to cut Top Brass by 20%

Hegseth sets 20% cut to general and admiral posts to thin Pentagon brass

Pete Hegseth is preparing to announce a 20 percent reduction in general and admiral roles, doubling earlier cuts as he pushes to shrink top brass and put more authority closer to the fight.

A department official told The Post that the Secretary of War has already greenlit deep cuts to flag officer and general positions across the Air Force, Army, and Navy, with a target of finishing the work by Jan. 1 of next year. He is expected to lay out the plan during his State of the Force address Wednesday at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

Fox News first reported the move. The reduction doubles the 10 percent cut in general and flag officer positions Hegseth ordered last year, when he also directed a 20 percent cut in National Guard general officers and active-duty four-star slots.

Just The News reported the cuts will hit positions reserved for generals and admirals in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the joint pool. The aim is clear: fewer layers at the top and more decision-making power for personnel nearer the battlefield.

Hegseth has framed the effort in plain terms. He has called for “less generals, more GIs.”

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Washington Is Reviewing the Europe Footprint

Hegseth Review Could Withdraw Up to 40,000 U.S. Troops From Europe

The United States is weighing a major force-structure shakeup that could pull thousands of troops out of Western Europe, according to a new report from NBC News. One scenario could remove up to one-third of the troops stationed there, or about 25,000 service members. Other estimates put the possible number at 40,000, which would be roughly half of the U.S. forces based in Europe.

These figures describe possible scenarios, not a final troop movement order. Still, the review signals that Washington is taking a hard look at where American forces are stationed and how much of Europe’s defense the United States should continue to carry.

European Governments Are Alarmed--The possibility of such dramatic cuts has alarmed lawmakers from both parties and European governments worried that Russia could be emboldened. Germany, Italy, and Spain are likely to be impacted, NBC News reported, citing officials it did not name.

Those countries have some of the largest concentrations of American troops in Europe. They were also at odds with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran. The message from Washington is becoming difficult to miss: NATO allies cannot expect America to handle the heavy lifting forever.

Trump Points to Poland--Even as the review raises questions about the U.S. presence in Western Europe, Trump said America will not abandon its allies. He pointed to Poland as a possible location for a new U.S. Army base. “Thanks to the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, major progress is being made toward establishing a U.S. Army base in Poland,” Trump wrote.

He added that if the plan moves forward, the location would be announced very soon, calling it a historic step for the U.S.-Polish alliance. The post placed Poland at the center of Trump’s message about maintaining strong partnerships while reviewing America’s broader military posture.

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Thomas Massie still causing trouble

House GOP leaders send lawmakers home early, sidestepping Hegseth impeachment vote

House Republican leaders scrapped Thursday's scheduled votes and sent members home ahead of the midterm elections, a move that conveniently shelves a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until the lame duck session.

Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters the early exit had nothing to do with the eight-article impeachment resolution that Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and vocal critic of the Trump White House, unveiled on Tuesday. Johnson called it "a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention" and predicted the resolution would be "immediately" rejected when the lame duck session begins November 9.

The cancellation caps a September in which Johnson had already wiped the last two weeks of scheduled session from the calendar. The House has now scrapped at least 63 voting days this Congress, according to Rep. Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican and Freedom Caucus member, nine of them this month alone

On September 15, 2026, Thomas Massie shocked his colleagues by filing an eight-article privileged resolution to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, prompting House leadership to truncate the legislative calendar and send members on an early recess to avoid a mandatory floor vote before the midterm elections.

With lawmakers now gone until after the election, a stack of unfinished business, a $95 billion reconciliation package, the Farm Bill, the Clarity Act on cryptocurrency regulation, and bipartisan AI safeguards, sits idle while the Senate shows no sign of moving.

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Thomas Massie can't get over that he was primaried. Ed Gallrein, endorsed by Trump, defeated incumbent Thomas Massie in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 4 on May 19, 2026.

Hegseth restoring physical Readiness among Troops

Pentagon sets weight and grooming standards for troops attending Hegseth's upcoming address

Hegseth tells Troops to get in shape

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office is requiring service members to pass waist-to-height and grooming checks before they can attend his "State of the Force" address later this month, a move that underscores his push to restore physical readiness across the ranks.

Internal Pentagon emails sent to Army commanders lay out a strict set of criteria for selecting which troops get a seat at the event. Candidates must meet waist-to-height requirements, maintain what the emails call "impeccable grooming and uniform standards (no exception)," and carry a "clear record of integrity, discipline and selfless service," The Hill reported, citing a Wall Street Journal investigation that first surfaced the emails.

The standards go beyond appearance. Commanders picking audience members, drawn from lower-ranking officers and enlisted personnel, must also verify that each candidate is "consistently rated as top performers within their formations" and can "demonstrate strong presence, clear communication and sound judgment under pressure." Selected troops, the emails add, should "serve as role models for their peers and subordinates."

Those who make the cut will also get a chance to work out alongside the Defense secretary, a privilege the Pentagon tied to "demonstrated leadership quality and professional character."

A military that asks its troops to be fit, disciplined, and well-groomed before they sit in the same room as the Defense secretary should not be controversial, it should be the bare minimum.

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Deputy Secretary of War, Steve Feinberg

Pete Hegseth rejects report of White House search to replace Pentagon deputy secretary

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is pushing back hard against a Reuters report claiming the White House is considering replacements for his deputy, Steve Feinberg, a story he says is “COMPLETELY false” and driven by outside interests opposed to reform.

On September 5, 2026, Pete Hegseth took to X to flatly deny that the White House had interviewed candidates to replace Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, after a report from Reuters, published the day before, according to Mediaite’s reporting, sparked speculation about more turnover at the top of the Pentagon.

Hegseth’s response was blunt and personal, calling the story “COMPLETELY false” and framing it as an attack by “outside forces” threatened by Feinberg’s success in advancing the president’s agenda.
“The [Department of Defense] has never had a better Deputy Secretary than Steve Feinberg,” Hegseth declared in his post, adding, “Outside forces (i.e. companies he is pressing for results!) want Steve gone because he is so effective in advancing [President Donald Trump’s] agenda. His leadership is HISTORIC.”

Reuters had reported, citing three unnamed people familiar with the discussions, that the White House had interviewed candidates to replace Feinberg. But Hegseth’s public denial left little room for ambiguity, and the Department of Defense (War) under his leadership is presenting a unified front against what it views as unfounded rumors.

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Stephen Andrew Feinberg is an American billionaire businessman and government official serving as the 36th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. Sworn into office on March 17, 2025, he functions as the chief operating officer for the department, which was formally renamed the Department of War later that year. Before entering the Pentagon, Feinberg was best known as the co-founder and long-time CEO of Cerberus Capital Management, a global private equity firm managing roughly $70 billion in assets.

Polygraph Tests at Pentagon - National Security Leak Investigation

Senior military officials subjected to polygraph tests in Pentagon leaks investigation

Dozens of top U.S. military leaders faced polygraph examinations this summer as the Pentagon intensified its hunt for those behind leaks of classified information on American weapons reserves, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from some officials caught in the probe.

Earlier this summer, several dozen U.S. military and civilian officials, including personnel from U.S. Central Command and other combatant commands, were ordered to take polygraph tests as part of an expanding national security leak investigation.

The Pentagon’s extraordinary step targeted those with access to some of the nation’s most sensitive defense secrets, as officials sought to identify the source of leaks about U.S. weapons stockpiles and other classified matters. The push followed mounting frustration at the highest levels, three sources told CBS News that President Donald Trump was furious about the leaks and demanded aggressive action.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has made combating leaks a public priority, announced in July that the Pentagon and Justice Department had formed a joint task force to identify and prosecute those suspected of leaking classified government information to the media.

Hegseth also granted the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel broad authority to demand records and cooperation from military officials for leak probes, and Pentagon personnel were instructed to respond to such requests within two days. These moves signaled a dramatic escalation in the federal government’s approach to internal security, raising the pressure on senior leaders across the Defense Department.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell underscored the seriousness of the effort, stating: “The Department does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly. Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world.”

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Suspended first, celebrated later - "We'll Fix this"

Hegseth steps in again to reverse suspension of Apache pilots after July Fourth flyover

Eight Apache helicopter pilots from the South Carolina National Guard had their suspensions lifted Friday, hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly promised to intervene, following a low-altitude flyover along the South Carolina coast on July Fourth that drew cheers from beachgoers and a bureaucratic crackdown from their own chain of command.

The reversal marks the second time in recent months that Hegseth has personally overridden a military disciplinary process involving Apache pilots, ABC News reported. The pattern raises a pointed question about military culture in 2026: when pilots do exactly the kind of thing the public loves, fly attack helicopters over a patriotic holiday crowd, why does the default institutional response look like punishment?

The pilots, all members of the South Carolina National Guard's Alpha 1-151 Attack Battalion, flew the "Salute from the Shore" route from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Beaufort, North Carolina, on Independence Day. Video of the low-altitude pass circulated online and drew widespread attention.

Shortly after the flight, the South Carolina National Guard temporarily suspended all eight pilots. The Guard issued a press release Thursday characterizing the move as a "routine administrative measure whenever a flight profile is under review." In a post on X, the Guard added that the suspension was "not a disciplinary action" and said the soldiers were still taking part in "regular daily duties in a non-flying capacity."

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Commander in Chief blindsided?

Trump rebuked Hegseth after defense secretary scrapped Poland troop deployment without warning

President Trump called Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and demanded to know why the Pentagon chief had abruptly canceled a planned U.S. armored brigade deployment to Poland, a move that blindsided one of America's closest NATO allies and drew bipartisan anger on Capitol Hill, the Daily Mail reported.

Hegseth called off the deployment earlier this month. No public explanation followed. What did follow was a sharp phone call from the commander in chief, a scramble by Polish officials to reach the Oval Office, and, within days, a presidential announcement reversing the damage with an even larger troop commitment.

The episode raises a straightforward question: How does the defense secretary cancel a major allied deployment without the president's knowledge, then leave the White House to clean up the mess?

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump lectured Hegseth during the call, telling him the United States should not mistreat Poland given the country's close ties to the White House. The Journal's reporting was not denied by either the Pentagon or the White House. Both issued statements insisting the president and his defense secretary were aligned on U.S. troop deployments in Europe.

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The decision was part of a larger plan to draw down forces in Europe and for NATO to start picking up the slack.

Hegseth answers news media questions

Pete Hegseth SNAPS at obnoxious reporter - Gives him much-needed lesson in RESPECT!

"Did you even hear what I said?!!"

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to put an ABC News reporter in his place after he asked a very pointed question about President Donald Trump negotiations with Iran, which Hegseth saw as a direct attack merely framed as a question.

“Of course this is ABC News! Did you even hear what I said?!”

The Policy That Made American Warriors Into Sitting Ducks

Hegseth Just Ended the Policy That Left Soldiers Defenseless for 35 Years

A gunman at Fort Stewart, Georgia opened fire on his fellow soldiers on August 6, 2025 – and every soldier who could stop him was unarmed. Six of them charged toward the gunfire anyway and brought him down with their bodies.

Now Pete Hegseth just signed a memo that changes what happens the next time someone opens fire on a US military installation.

For 35 years, a 1992 Pentagon directive effectively disarmed the U.S. military on its own soil.

Carrying a personal firearm on a U.S. military installation was prohibited. Military police could carry. Soldiers actively training could carry their service weapons. Everyone else – the sergeants, the logistics specialists, the medics going to work every morning – was disarmed the moment they walked through the gate.

Hegseth put it plainly. "Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones," he said Thursday. "Unless you're training, or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn't carry. You couldn't bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post."

"Well," he added, "that's no longer."

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Two 4 star Generals and one 2 star general out at the Pentagon

Hegseth Pushes Out Three Leading Army Generals

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a sharp shakeup at the Pentagon by removing General Randy A. George as Army Chief of Staff and ousting two other senior officers.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted a statement saying General George will retire effective immediately and thanked him for decades of service. Hegseth has not released a separate public statement explaining his decision, leaving reporters and Washington insiders to piece together motives and timing.

Along with Gen. Randy George, two other Army leaders were pushed out. The Washington Post reported the other officers are Gen. David Hodne, who led the Training and Transformation Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army chief of chaplains. These are significant roles that touch on soldier training and morale.

Removing three senior figures at once is an unusual step during active operations and signals a major change in Pentagon personnel policy under Hegseth.

With these departures, Hegseth has reshaped almost the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff since taking office in January 2025. Only Gen. Eric M. Smith of the Marine Corps and Gen. B. Chance Saltzman of the Space Force remain from the leadership that was in place when Hegseth became secretary.

Replacing top military advisers during a conflict can alter strategic discussions and the advice presented to the White House. Supporters argue new leadership brings fresh thinking.

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Pete Hegseth- Pentagon update on War

Surrender or face guaranteed death

Hegseth warns that firepower over Tehran will 'surge dramatically' as Trump tells Iranian soldiers to surrender or face death

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a blunt message to Iran on Thursday: what you've seen so far is just the opening act.

Speaking at a press conference in Tampa, Hegseth said the combined US-Israeli operation against the Iranian regime is about to escalate significantly, and that Tehran's hope of outlasting American resolve amounts to a fatal miscalculation.

"The amount of firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically."

Hours later, President Trump stood at the White House and issued his own warning, this time directly to the men carrying guns for the regime.

"I'm once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police to lay down their arms. Now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country."
Trump offered immunity to those who comply. For those who don't, he promised "guaranteed death."

Six days into the conflict that began with a US-Israeli strike that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, the war has expanded across the Gulf and beyond. Iran has answered with everything it has. It is not enough.

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Capture of tanker after Quarantine Violation

Hegseth announces capture of tanker after quarantine violation

I am not sure what it will take for it to sink in that the United States is not playing games when it comes to the quarantine around Venezuela.

After Trump issued the quarantine, several ships were seized, but the issue has been raised again. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced that yet another tanker has been boarded and seized.

In mid-December, Trump announced there would be a "complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela.”

Trump also started to move more military assets into the area to enforce the quarantine on Venezuelan oil.

Most would consider a blockade to be an act of war, but Marine Corps Col. Steve Ganyard, a former State Department official, said this was a quarantine, not a blockade, and it was perfectly legal in international waters.

Whatever jargon you want to use, it was clear that any tankers that violated this order would be seized and taken by the United States. “Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility."

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Pentagon Cuts Academic ties with Harvard

Pentagon to Cut Academic Ties With Harvard, Hegseth Says

The secretary of war said the Ivy League school promotes ideology misaligned with military values

Hegseth said the Pentagon would discontinue graduate-level professional military education, fellowships, and certificate programs with the Ivy League school beginning in the 2026-27 academic year for active duty service members.

This policy will apply to service members enrolling in future courses, while military personnel already enrolled at Harvard will still be allowed to finish their courses, according to the Pentagon chief.

“For too long, this department has sent our best and brightest officers to Harvard, hoping the university would better understand and appreciate our warrior class,” he said in a statement.

“Instead, too many of our officers came back looking too much like Harvard — heads full of globalist and radical ideologies that do not improve our fighting ranks.”

Hegseth said Harvard is no longer a welcoming institution for military personnel, citing its partnership with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on campus research programs and a campus culture he said enabled attacks on Jewish students and “promotes discrimination based on race in violation of Supreme Court decisions.”

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So, the lawsuits will continue.

Mike Huckabee on Mark Kelly

Ah Oh

FACING CONSEQUENCES

"In November, six Democrat Congress members who are military veterans released a video urging active-duty troops to refuse to obey “illegal orders” – although when pressed, they couldn’t specify any orders President Trump has given that are illegal.

Trump called it traitorous, and other critics said they were trying to encourage troops to refuse to obey orders for political reasons.

One of them is now learning that there are consequences for such actions. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that Sen. Mark Kelly is facing a “retirement grade determination” for his “seditious statements” and “pattern of reckless misconduct.”

If approved, Kelly could see both his rank and retirement pay reduced. The reason he’s the only one facing this is that the others left the service completely while he retired with a military pension, meaning he’s still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which bars things such as calling lawful orders illegal and counseling troops to disobey orders.

Hegseth said that being a Senator does not exempt Kelly from accountability. We have to assume that he’s been in Congress so long that he simply forgot he once had a job where he was held accountable."

Mike Huckabee

War Secretary launches GenAI.mil revolution across Pentagon

Pete Hegseth made one bold move with military AI that has China scrambling

China's been racing to dominate the military AI battlefield for years.

Beijing's pouring billions into weapons systems designed to crush American forces in any future conflict.

And Pete Hegseth made one bold move with military AI that has China scrambling. War Secretary Pete Hegseth just rolled out GenAI.mil to every single member of America's military forces. Over three million troops, civilians, and contractors now have direct access to Google's Gemini artificial intelligence on their work computers.

"The future of American warfare is here, and it's spelled A-I," Hegseth declared in a video message announcing the platform.

The system lets personnel conduct deep research, format documents, and analyze video and imagery at speeds that were impossible just months ago. Hegseth expects every member of the department to log in and incorporate AI into their daily workflows immediately.
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Google gets back in the war business after years of employee revolts

Pete Hegseth Just Handed Google a Massive Pentagon AI Contract That’ll Make China Squirm

Google spent years running from Pentagon contracts after woke employees threw tantrums about helping America's military.

Now the company just landed one of the biggest defense AI deals in history.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the launch of GenAI.mil, giving more than 3 million U.S. military personnel access to Google's Gemini artificial intelligence platform.

"The future of American warfare is here, and it's spelled AI," Hegseth said. "As technologies advance, so do our adversaries. But here at the War Department, we are not sitting idly by."

The platform lets troops conduct deep research, analyze video footage, and process battlefield intelligence at unprecedented speed.

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It's no laughing matter

Mark Kelly’s Wife BURSTS OUT LAUGHING as Pete Hegseth Announces Federal Investigation Into Her Husband

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) revealed on Friday that his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, “laughed and laughed” when she heard Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had ordered an investigation into Kelly for potentially unlawful conduct under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The Pentagon announcement came after Kelly and five other far-left lawmakers, each with military or intelligence backgrounds, released a shocking video calling for U.S. troops to defy President Trump’s orders.

The group repeatedly told service members: “You can refuse illegal orders” and “You must refuse illegal orders.”

The Department of War responded, confirming it is now considering recalling Senator Kelly to active duty for court-martial proceedings.

Hegseth might get the last laugh