Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Orders Force-Wide Review of Existing Fitness and Grooming Standards

[Robert W]

++++++++

I'm pretty sure all those quotes aren't necessarily from his book. Some may be. Those quotes were not from the movie but were attributed to Patton himself.

Patton is not shy in his book.

 

[Mac-7]

As for transgenderism being prohibitive, I would ask, "why?"

They are insulting to the intelligence of sensible people, including soldiers

 

[Robert W]

Wow, this is why you shouldn't get your history from movies.

George C. Scott was not Patton.

Patton actually had quite the mousy voice.

Further, while the US took horrendous casualties at Kasserine, it was ultimately an Axis defeat. Rommell knew he was overextended and was in the process of withdrawing from North Africa.

Patton began delivering speeches to his troops in the United Kingdom in February 1944.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>16<span>]</span></a> The extent of his giving the particular speech that became famous is unclear, with different sources saying it had taken this form by March,<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>16<span>]</span></a> or around early May,<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>17<span>]</span></a><a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>18<span>]</span></a> or in late May.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a> The number of speeches given is also not clear, with one source saying four to six,<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a> and others suggesting that every unit in the Third Army heard an instance.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>18<span>]</span></a><a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>16<span>]</span></a> The most famous and well known of the speeches occurred on 5 June 1944, the day before D-Day.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>19<span>]</span></a> Though he was unaware of the actual date for the beginning of the invasion of Europe (as the Third Army was not part of the initial landing force),<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a> Patton used the speech as a motivational device to excite the men under his command and prevent them from losing their nerve.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>20<span>]</span></a> Patton delivered the speech without notes, and so though it was substantially the same at each occurrence, the order of some of its parts varied.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>21<span>]</span></a> One notable difference occurred in the speech he delivered on 31 May 1944, while addressing the U.S. 6th Armored Division, when he began with a remark that would later be among his most famous:<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>22<span>]</span></a>

No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>22<span>]</span></a>

Patton's words were later written down by a number of troops who witnessed his remarks, and so a number of iterations exist with differences in wording.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>21<span>]</span></a> Historian Terry Brighton constructed a full speech from a number of soldiers who recounted the speech in their memoirs, including Gilbert R. Cook, Hobart R. Gay, and other junior soldiers.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>21<span>]</span></a> Patton only wrote briefly of his orations in his diary, noting, "as in all of my talks, I stressed fighting and killing."<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>20<span>]</span></a> The speech later became so popular that it was called simply "Patton's speech" or "The speech" when referencing the general.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>20<span>]</span></a><a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a>

Transcript​

[edit]

Be seated.

Men, all this stuff you hear about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost, and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. The very thought of losing is hateful to America. Battle is the most significant competition in which a man can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base.

You are not all going to die. Only two percent of you right here today would be killed in a major battle. Every man is scared in his first action. If he says he's not, he's a goddamn liar. But the real hero is the man who fights even though he's scared. Some men will get over their fright in a minute under fire, some take an hour, and for some it takes days. But the real man never lets his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood.

All through your army career you men have bitched about what you call 'this chicken-shit drilling.' That is all for a purpose—to ensure instant obedience to orders and to create constant alertness. This must be bred into every soldier. I don't give a fuck for a man who is not always on his toes. But the drilling has made veterans of all you men. You are ready! A man has to be alert all the time if he expects to keep on breathing. If not, some German son-of-a-bitch will sneak up behind him and beat him to death with a sock full of shit. There are four hundred neatly marked graves in Sicily, all because one man went to sleep on the job—but they are German graves, because we caught the bastard asleep before his officer did.

An army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, and fights as a team. This individual hero stuff is bullshit. The bilious bastards who write that stuff for the Saturday Evening Post don't know any more about real battle than they do about fucking. Now we have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit and the best men in the world. You know, by God, I actually pity these poor bastards we're going up against, by God I do.

All the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters. Every single man in the army plays a vital role. So don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. What if every truck driver decided that he didn't like the whine of the shells and turned yellow and jumped headlong into a ditch? That cowardly bastard could say to himself, 'Hell, they won't miss me, just one man in thousands.' What if every man said that? Where in the hell would we be then? No, thank God, Americans don't say that. Every man does his job. Every man is important. The ordnance men are needed to supply the guns, the quartermaster is needed to bring up the food and clothes for us because where we are going there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last damn man in the mess hall, even the one who boils the water to keep us from getting the GI shits, has a job to do.

Each man must think not only of himself, but think of his buddy fighting alongside him. We don't want yellow cowards in the army. They should be killed off like flies. If not, they will go back home after the war, goddamn cowards, and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men. Kill off the goddamn cowards and we'll have a nation of brave men.

One of the bravest men I saw in the African campaign was on a telegraph pole in the midst of furious fire while we were moving toward Tunis. I stopped and asked him what the hell he was doing up there. He answered, 'Fixing the wire, sir.' 'Isn't it a little unhealthy up there right now?' I asked. 'Yes sir, but this goddamn wire has got to be fixed.' I asked, 'Don't those planes strafing the road bother you?' And he answered, 'No sir, but you sure as hell do.' Now, there was a real soldier. A real man. A man who devoted all he had to his duty, no matter how great the odds, no matter how seemingly insignificant his duty appeared at the time.

And you should have seen the trucks on the road to Gabès. Those drivers were magnificent. All day and all night they crawled along those son-of-a-bitch roads, never stopping, never deviating from their course with shells bursting all around them. Many of the men drove over 40 consecutive hours. We got through on good old American guts. These were not combat men. But they were soldiers with a job to do. They were part of a team. Without them the fight would have been lost.

Sure, we all want to go home. We want to get this war over with. But you can't win a war lying down. The quickest way to get it over with is to get the bastards who started it. We want to get the hell over there and clean the goddamn thing up, and then get at those purple-pissing Japs.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>a<span>]</span></a> The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. So keep moving. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper-hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler.

When a man is lying in a shell hole, if he just stays there all day, a Boche will get him eventually. The hell with that. My men don't dig foxholes. Foxholes only slow up an offensive. Keep moving. We'll win this war, but we'll win it only by fighting and showing the Germans that we've got more guts than they have or ever will have. We're not just going to shoot the bastards, we're going to rip out their living goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun cocksuckers by the bushel-fucking-basket.

Some of you men are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you'll all do your duty. War is a bloody business, a killing business. The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them, spill their blood or they will spill yours. Shoot them in the guts. Rip open their belly. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt from your face and you realize that it's not dirt, it's the blood and guts of what was once your best friend, you'll know what to do.

I don't want any messages saying 'I'm holding my position.' We're not holding a goddamned thing. We're advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding anything except the enemy's balls. We're going to hold him by his balls and we're going to kick him in the ass; twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all the time. Our plan of operation is to advance and keep on advancing. We're going to go through the enemy like shit through a tinhorn.

There will be some complaints that we're pushing our people too hard. I don't give a damn about such complaints. I believe that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder we push, the more Germans we kill. The more Germans we kill, the fewer of our men will be killed. Pushing harder means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that. My men don't surrender. I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he is hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight. That's not just bullshit either. I want men like the lieutenant in Libya who, with a Luger against his chest, swept aside the gun with his hand, jerked his helmet off with the other and busted the hell out of the Boche with the helmet. Then he picked up the gun and he killed another German. All this time the man had a bullet through his lung. That's a man for you!

Don't forget, you don't know I'm here at all. No word of that fact is to be mentioned in any letters. The world is not supposed to know what the hell they did with me. I'm not supposed to be commanding this army. I'm not even supposed to be in England. Let the first bastards to find out be the goddamned Germans. Some day, I want them to rise up on their piss-soaked hind legs and howl 'Ach! It's the goddamned Third Army and that son-of-a-bitch Patton again!'

Then there's one thing you men will be able to say when this war is over and you get back home. Thirty years from now when you're sitting by your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks, 'What did you do in the great World War Two?' You won't have to cough and say, 'Well, your granddaddy shoveled shit in Louisiana.' No sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say 'Son, your granddaddy rode with the great Third Army and a son-of-a-goddamned-bitch named George Patton!'

All right, you sons of bitches. You know how I feel. I'll be proud to lead you wonderful guys in battle anytime, anywhere. That's all.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>23<span>]</span></a>

Impact​

[edit]
The troops under Patton's command received the speech well. The general's strong reputation caused considerable excitement among his men, and they listened intently, in absolute silence, as he spoke.<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>15<span>]</span></a> A majority indicated they enjoyed Patton's speaking style. As one officer recounted of the end of the speech, "The men instinctively sensed the fact and the telling mark that they themselves would play in world history because of it, for they were being told as much right now. Deep sincerity and seriousness lay behind the General's colorful words, and the men well knew it, but they loved the way he put it as only he could do it."<a href="George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army - Wikipedia"><span>[</span>24<span>]</span></a>

 

[Robert W]

As for transgenderism being prohibitive, I would ask, "why?"

Joe, you pick the tiny group to exalt and piss on the rest of the citizens.

 

[Moonglow]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Orders Force-Wide Review of Existing Fitness and Grooming Standards​

Exclusive -- Hegseth Orders Review of Fitness, Grooming

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a department-wide review of existing standards for physical fitness, body composition, and grooming

www.breitbart.com

12 Mar 2025 ~~ By Kristina Wong

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday ordered a department-wide review of existing standards for each military branch on physical fitness, body composition, and grooming — including on beards, Breitbart News has exclusively learned.
“We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world’s most lethal and effective fighting force,” Hegseth said in a March 12, 2025, memorandum ordering the review.
“Our adversaries are not growing weaker, and our tasks are not growing less challenging. This review will illuminate how the Department has maintained the level of standards required over the recent past and the trajectory of any change in those standards,” he added.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot added in a statement to Breitbart News:

Unfortunately, the U.S. military’s high standards on body composition and other metrics eroded in recent years, particularly during the tenure of former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, who set a bad example from the top through his own personal corpulence. Secretary Hegseth is committed to restoring high standards, and this review is the first step in doing so.​

Hegseth directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) to gather the existing aforementioned standards set by each military branch, review them and how they have changed over the last decade, since January 1, 2015.

Commentary:
Pete Hegseth is definitely not kidding around!! Leftist Lunatics are done!!
My Guidebook For Military fitness and grooming circa1955 to 1980 has very specific standards. The standards for good grooming are a set up for discipline across the board.. There's also a set of standards for civilian nurses and medical staff, too. (at least they used to)
Read more:

Army Regulation AR 670-1 Overview of Uniform Standards

Discover essential insights on Army Regulations AR 670-1 and learn what soldiers need to know about uniform standards and compliance in the military.

sucharmy.com

Trump's corpulent body standard is a disgrace.

 

[Foxfyre]

++++++++

Patton is not shy in his book.

I know. I've read the book.

 

[Robert W]

I know. I've read the book.

I packed his book when I left CA for Idaho. I have not seen his book here in Idaho so will need to unpack some boxes.
I bought his actual book from Half Priced book stores in CA.

 

[Deadstick]

No, it wouldn't.

Frankly, a lot of them will just realize that if being fat is a ticket out, they'll just stay fat. Still probably be eligible for those veteran's benefits.

You guys don't think these things through at all, do you?

Wonder how the fat slobs get over the assault course?

 

[Foxfyre]

I packed his book when I left CA for Idaho. I have not seen his book here in Idaho so will need to unpack some boxes.
I bought his actual book from Half Priced book stores in CA.

I was loaned the copy I read. But it was a good read for what it was. As I recall it just covered two years of the war though.

 

[Robert W]

Wonder how the fat slobs get over the assault course?

What is the assault course?

 

[Robert W]

I was loaned the copy I read. But it was a good read for what it was. As I recall it just covered two years of the war though.

I started reading his book when I lived in CA but I left in 2019 and have not been back since.

 

[Deadstick]

What is the assault course?

This sort of thing, this is the Marine assault course.

 

[Robert W]

This sort of thing, this is the Marine assault course.

Who is being assaulted?

 

[Deadstick]

Who is being assaulted?

No one, its what they call the course, what do they call it in the US?

 

[Robert W]

No one, its what they call the course, what do they call it in the US?

I was in the American Army and never assaulted a course.

 

[JoeB131]

I own Patton's genuine book on this stuff. I will look it up to see if he claims he said that. George Scott was winning awards as an Actor.

The movie drew heavily up on "War as I knew it" by Patton and "A soldier's story" by Omar Bradley. Bradley also acted as a technical advisor on the film, which is why the portrayal of his character by Karl Mauldin is sympathetic.

Precisely. He is very smart. I still don't know the first name of the original Benning. I served over time at Ft. Ord (who is that) at Ft. Benning (who was that) Ft. Dix (who was that) Ledward Barracks (who was he) (Conn Barracks). I mean Biden went nuts changing names. Yet Democrats despise the name of the Gulf of America.

We don't own the Gulf of Mexico. The government does own the names of forts, and naming them after Confederate traitors is a slap in the face to African-Americans who sign up to serve.

Oh, Fort Ord-

Edward Ord - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Fort Dix

John Adams Dix - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Named for heroes who served their country, they didn't betray it like Benning and Bragg did.

The biggest mistake we made after the Civil War was being to conciliatory to the traitors. Lee, Davis and every other traitor should have been put on trial and at the end of a rope. Instead, we let them worm their way back into polite society, and not surprisingly, the first thing they did was take back most of the freedoms for blacks that had been won. The second thing they did was put up statues and name forts after these assholes.

But, he certainly played the role well.
While no matter what you say General Patton's leadership was key in winning WW2 against Nazi Germany.
Without Patton, the "Battle of the Bulge" would not have been an ultimate win for Allied forces.

Well, he got an Oscar for his performance but declined it. (Things you find out going down the rabbit hole).

The problem with the rest of your statement is that like most Americans, you overstate our role in winning the war. Most of the heavy lifting was done by the Soviets. But you are never going to see the award-winning film about Marshall Zhukov.

The other problem with the Battle of the Bulge is how little it actually accomplished for the Germans. Sure, he pushed the allies back before Third Army hit the soft underbelly. But Germany was effectively defeated at that point, this was just a last hurrah of the Wehrmacht before it all fell apart.

Not to minimize what the soldier did in that battle. My late father was a medic with the VII Corps.

 

[JoeB131]

They are insulting to the intelligence of sensible people, including soldiers

So essentially, it's about your insecurities.

How much time do you spend thinking about what people have in their pants, anyway?

70 years ago, when they desegregated the Army, the complaints were about the sensibilities of white soldiers having to serve with black soldiers.

50 years ago, when women were integrated into the main force, there were complaints about how it would effect the morale of men.

30 years ago, when they started letting gays serve openly, it was about how a straight soldier would be uncomfortable showering with gays.

Guess what. They all got over it.

 

[Mac-7]

30 years ago, when they started letting gays serve openly, it was about how a straight soldier would be uncomfortable showering with gays.

They still are

Gays are no less icky than any other sexual pervert

They do not contribute to unit cohesion

 

[Robert W]

The movie drew heavily up on "War as I knew it" by Patton and "A soldier's story" by Omar Bradley. Bradley also acted as a technical advisor on the film, which is why the portrayal of his character by Karl Mauldin is sympathetic.

I will check my book by Patton to see if I can verify that for you. Bradley hit Patton hard in the movie. Acted disgusted with the best General in WW2.

 

[Robert W]

70 years ago, when they desegregated the Army, the complaints were about the sensibilities of white soldiers having to serve with black soldiers.

YES, I have told how FDR was full of complaints. He would have hit Truman in the mouth.