Hegseth, on day 1 at the Pentagon, says defense is the US’s ‘dominant area’.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived on his first day at the Pentagon on Monday with a message about the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) mission.

Greeted by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr. and a crowd of reporters, Hegseth said “it’s a great honor to serve the president and to serve the country,” adding that the troops are ready to go.”

Hegseth quickly turned to the border crisis, acknowledging how President Donald Trump was “hitting the ground running” with executive orders declaring a state of emergency on the southern border and designating foreign terrorist organizations. Hegseth said the DOD “stepped in” last week by sending more troops to help build the border along the southern border, and to “ensure mass deportations,” adding: “That’s something the Department of Defense will continue to do.”

“You made it clear. There are emergencies at the border,” said Hegseth. “Protecting the sovereignty of the United States is the responsibility of the Department of Defense.”

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Last week, the Department of Defense announced 1,500 members and “additional air and intelligence assets” are being sent to the southern border “to augment the forces already conducting operations in that region.”

When asked if more troops will be sent to the border now that he’s in charge, Hegseth said, “Whatever is needed at the border will be provided. Whether that’s because of state active duty, Title 32 or Title 10, because we’re restructuring.”

“This is a change. This is not the way things have been done before,” said Hegseth. “The Department of Defense will support the defense of the territorial integrity of the United States along the southern border to include reservists, National Guard and active duty personnel in accordance with the Constitution, the laws of our country and the directives of the commander in chief.”

Hegseth, an Army veteran who was deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan, said he expected further orders from the White House later Monday. That would include orders to remove diversity, equity and inclusion from within the Pentagon, reinstate soldiers who were “fired” because of the mandate to vaccinate against COVID-19 and implement the construction of an “Iron Dome for America,” Hegseth told reporters, vowing to comply. with Trump’s directives “quickly and quickly.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center right, speaks with members of the media after arriving at the Pentagon on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

“Every minute I’m here I think about the guys and gals in Guam, Germany, Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, the missile defense facilities and the aircraft carriers,” Hegseth said. “Our job is to kill and prepare and fight the war.”

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“We hold people accountable. I know the chairman agrees with that,” Hegseth, who recently became a Fox News host before Trump nominated him to lead the Defense Department, continued. “The official orders of the President of the United States will be carried out in this Department of Defense immediately and without excuse. We will not be a better friend to our allies and a stronger enemy to those who want to test and test us.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, pats Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. on his shoulder as he answered questions from reporters after arriving at the Pentagon on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 in Washington, DC (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

When asked about the wristband he was wearing, Hegseth said he wore it every day to remember Jorge Oliveira, a soldier he worked with at Guantánamo Bay when he was a squad leader. Oliveira was later killed in Afghanistan while Hegseth was there in a different unit.

“These are the guys we’re doing this for. The ones who sacrificed the most,” Hegseth said.

The secretary was also asked about the assistance of the Afghan people working with the American government. Last week, Trump issued an order to freeze all foreign development aid to the US for 90 days pending an assessment of whether the funds are in line with his administration’s foreign policy. Reuters reported that the flights of about 40,000 Afghans who were authorized to receive special visas following the withdrawal of former President Joe Biden have been suspended because of this.

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“We’re going to make sure there’s accountability for what’s happening in Afghanistan, and we’re standing up to our allies,” Hegseth said.