Former Marine Joey Jones praised Secretary of War Pete Hegsethās address to a gathering of generals and admirals on Tuesday, saying those who do not want to support Hegsethās reforms should resign.
Hegseth spoke before the gathering of senior military commanders, announcing a series of directives that included twice-yearly physical fitness tests for all servicemembers as well as issuing new fitness standards. Jones, who lost his legs while serving in the Global War on Terror, said Hegsethās decision to call the senior officers in to hear the remarks left no room for misunderstanding.
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āWho in that room can say they didnāt hear him clearly? Who in that room, a month from now, can say thatās not when I heard when he came to visit me, thatās not how the policy I think is supposed to be put forth?ā Jones told āAmericaās Newsroomā co-host Bill Hemmer. āRather than playing the telephone game and presenting this message 100 times over so people have more opportunity to kind of finagle their way around it, it was direct, it was in their face and they heard it together in one room. You canāt mince words now. This is the policy, this is the culture. Get on board or get the hell out.ā
āThe value is people staying alive,ā Jones continued. āThe value is people like me not losing my legs because a commander somewhere was afraid to do what was necessary to use JDAMS to clear a town of enemy people instead of me on my foot. Thatās the type of value weāre looking for. Thatās what weāve screamed and begged for in that 20-year war.ā
Hegseth previously had announced a tightening of grooming standards, a review of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, ordered the removal of books promoting DEI from military academies and halted sex-change procedures for service members.
āI hope any of them that think what he said was offensive or wrong sign their papers, take their fat retirement, go hang their uniform that doesnāt fit anymore in a closet and go give speeches for a living or join some think-tank,ā Jones said. āThey can still be of value if they have something to contribute. But if you are not on board with this type of culture, you donāt deserve to wear the uniform anymore. I lost my legs in 2010, I can pass the height and weight standards right now.ā
President Donald Trump renamed the Department of Defense the Department of War on Sept. 5.
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