Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth speaks with senior military leaders at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va., Sept. 30, 2025. [Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS]

U.S. Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth told hundreds of U.S. Army generals during a conference on Tuesday that the era of "politically correct" (PC) leadership is over, and those who do not agree with his approach should resign.

Hegseth stated at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, "The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now at every level."

According to the Associated Press, he also announced new guidance for soldiers at the conference, which included "gender-neutral" or "male-level" standards for physical fitness and the end of "woke" culture within the military.

Hegseth also said he is changing the Army's fitness and grooming standards while establishing a "golden rule" test.

Hegseth began his speech by saying, "Welcome to the Department of the Army."

He also stated, "The Department of Defense era is over."

The Secretary said the mission of the Department of Defense is "to fight wars, to prepare for war, to prepare for victory," and to do so, "we will not be bent, we will not be compromised."

"Our warriors deserve to be led by the finest, most competent leaders," he said. "That is exactly what all of us need to be."

"We have lost our way and we have become a woke department, but no more," Hegseth said.

The Secretary of the Army said he is issuing 10 new Army directives regarding physical fitness and grooming standards, including a return to "male standards" for combat positions.

"If you are not able to meet the male standard for combat positions, if you cannot pass the PT test, if you don't want to shave and look professional, then it is time for you to find a new position or a new career," he said.

Hegseth added, "I am tired of seeing fat soldiers in combat units, or frankly, in any unit. Likewise, I'm not going to tolerate seeing fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon or in command posts around the world. It does not look good."

Hegseth also said that soldiers will spend less time in classrooms.

President Trump spoke at the event this morning. He began his speech by saying, "I've never walked into a quieter room... If you want to clap, then clap... If you don't like what I'm saying, you're welcome to leave the room. And when you do, your rank will disappear and your future will disappear."

By Hong Seong-gu, Chief Reporter, NNP USA / Special Correspondent for this newspaper NNP info@newsandpost.com