Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, began his tour of Europe on Tuesday at Patch Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany, which is home to US European Command. SecDef Pete Hegseth has a busy schedule ahead of him. He will be inspecting US troops in Europe, and attending his first NATO meeting. He is trying to get past the controversy surrounding his confirmation. He also tries to set an example by reversing the culture of the US military with force.
He flew to Europe in a C-17 cargo aircraft with a control pod, rather than a Gulfstream executive plane.
He traveled with both his wife and son. It has become a common image for all Trump cabinet members. Trump had his grandson at his desk. Sean Duffy and his family are often in the spotlight. JD Vance travels with his wife and children. Musk’s child was present at his press conference yesterday. When compared with previous administrations including Trump 1.0, the image of family being a central part of life and not an adjunct to a job is striking.
Hegseth and the troops mixed.
He was a PT in the 1st Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group.
The size of this guy was commented upon. This is the close-up image of the upper right picture in the last group.
The informal part of the visit went very well. However, I found the official side to be much more problematic.
These photos are from the official welcome reception.
I have a very old-fashioned view of uniforms. I find it horrendous that people wear BDUs all the time (utilities or fatigues, however you call them). Back when I was a young soldier, BDUs were not allowed off the post. Period. You wouldn’t be able to go out for lunch or to run errands on your way home in BDUs. If you cannot wear the Class A uniform when welcoming the SecDef, and note that the color guard are in dress uniforms, then I don’t think there is any occasion for them. If you wear BDUs when greeting the SecDef, make sure they are a new set. It is an insult to meet the Secretary of Defense wearing wrinkled BDUs. I don’t think this three-star general or his assistant are stupid.
The military wives heckled the secretary of defense for the first ever time in the history of the Defense Department.
Middle school students, and I repeat, middle-school students, walked out in protest at the end of DEI programs. The middle school was responsible for this and did not receive any help from the Stuttgart command structure. After all, losing DEI classes is what gets 6th graders upset.
It’s just the beginning. You can only imagine what is happening behind the scenes if you are willing to allow your boss to be accosted by his dependent wife in wrinkled clothing.
