Hegseth continues Send Me Tour with 3K Air Force and Space Force cadets in Colorado Springs
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Colorado Springs to deliver remarks to 3,500 Air Force and Space Force cadets as part of his “Send Me Tour” to boost morale ahead of the Air Force vs. Navy football game.
Hegseth made his second stop on the “Send Me Tour” at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Saturday, starting the day by joining about 400 students for an early-morning physical training routine.
.@SECWAR "I had a chance to do PT with about FOUR HUNDRED of you this morning over in the practice facility.
There's no better way in this country—on this planet—to start a day than PT with the best Americans on the planet… IT WAS INCREDIBLE." pic.twitter.com/4bqY6waDns
Hegseth could be seen receiving a T-shirt from the academy during their morning exercise.
The secretary explained during his remarks that the name of the tour is derived from the Bible verse Isaiah 6:8, in which a prophet exemplifies admirable initiative and complete submission to God.
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” the verse reads (NIV).
During training, Hegseth praised the Air Force students for their initiative and willingness to serve in making the decision to join the academy.
“You already made your decision that 99% of Americans will never make — that’s why you are the real 1%,” he told the students. “Part of this tour is to spotlight the incredible decision that men and women like you made.”
.@SECWAR "We're doing this SEND ME TOUR in some parts for you, but YOU ALREADY SAID SEND ME.
YOU ALREADY MADE YOUR DECISION THAT 99% OF AMERICANS WILL NEVER MAKE—THAT'S WHY YOU ARE THE REAL 1%.
Part of this tour is to SPOTLIGHT the incredible decision that men and women like… pic.twitter.com/d7b8z3azjc
In his following remarks, he continued, “We want to showcase you … the best of our country, who made the decision when you were young to serve something greater than yourself.”
Noting America’s 250th anniversary this year, Hegseth reflected on American military history, adding, “We’ve had young Americans that said ‘send me to fight the redcoats,’ ‘send me to fight the Communists,’ ‘send me to fight the Nazis,’ ‘send me to fight the Islamists.’ And whatever threats of the future, it’s going to require Americans like you to raise your right hand and say, ‘send me, I will take the fight to the enemy.’”
.@SECWAR "We're here today as part of a tour that we’re undertaking called the SEND ME TOUR, and it is meant to showcase places like this…
We bring the press with us because WE WANT TO SHOWCASE YOU—THE REAL 1%, THE BEST OF OUR COUNTRY, who made the decision when you were young… pic.twitter.com/DqiW1JyqSw
He explained that the tour was intended to increase morale in the military and noted his affinity for rituals and traditions that give the 99% a “tiny sense of the depth of the sacrifice that is required to keep us free.”
“I’ve always been a big believer in civic ritual in parades and the flyovers will continue until morale improves. That’s why I believe in flyovers. Because I want young people to … look up and say, ‘maybe I could do that,’” he stated.
Hegseth dedicated a portion of his 20-minute speech to recapping the 6 initiatives the Department of War is employing under his leadership to shape the future of the United States’ armed forces, which he announced in his State of the Force address this week: the Autonomous Warfare Command (AutoWarCom), Project Meridian, FORTRESS America, The Next Great American Base project, America’s Corps of Cadets and the Office of Religious Affairs.
The war secretary concluded by discussing what he considers the department’s “Golden Rule”: “Do unto [one’s military] formations that which [one] would have done unto [one’s] son or daughter’s formations.” This references the Bible verse Matthew 7:12, in which Jesus states, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (NIV)
“So that, when the bullets are flying … on your left and right — you have the most capable human beings to have your back inside your formations. That’s what you deserve; that’s what your parents expect of you; that’s what I expect for my kids; and that’s what we should expect across the entire War Department,” Hegseth said. “So, thank you for what you’re doing. You have raised your hand to say, ‘Send me.'”
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