When President Donald Trump was elected, he promised the American people a consequential cabinet with brash picks that would change the executive branch and Washington, D.C. for good. With his first big-name choice, the 45th and 47th President of the United States selected veteran warfighter and conservative bulwark Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense, and what has transpired for the Department of Defense since his swearing-in has been nothing short of excellence, efficacy, national security, and global stability for our nation. Thanks to Secretary Hegseth's leadership during the first one hundred days, priorities like the elimination of DEI, protection of our southern border, fiscal responsibility, and strengthened alliances have all become forefronts of a new, stronger United States Department of Defense.

The Trump Administration's main goal during the first few months of its tenure has been the security of the United States-Mexican border, not only for the Department of Homeland Security but for every department that can aid in protecting American citizens on their domestic soil. Secretary Hegseth and the Department of Defense have done their part by collaborating with DHS to send nearly twelve thousand troops to defend the border and aid in decreasing border crossings by ninety-nine point nine percent in just the first one hundred days. Implementation of initiatives such as establishing the New Mexico National Defense Area, which allows United States troops to detain illegal migrants and be referred to the Department of Justice, and supporting the removal flights of nearly two thousand three hundred illicit aliens have been just a couple of ways that Secretary Hegseth's vision for the department has exceeded all expectations in their role to secure the border.

Under the Biden Administration, military recruitment was at an all-time low, and our warfighters were not being treated fairly by any metric besides the harmful DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives that were appealing to only the far-left members of our nation. Luckily, Hegseth and company have changed that with the Restore America's Fighting Force" Task Force to abolish DEI jobs, prioritize merit-based policies, and bring back the military to embrace its history of warfighters protecting American cultural values. By returning Fort Bragg and Fort Benning to their original names and creating narratives around our American military that embrace its incredible record, the Department of Defense is making its people proud again while increasing its appeal to the masses.

Protecting American interests first and foreign interests last has been President Trump's and Secretary Hegseth's priority, so military actions such as Operation Rough Rider have embraced precision in overseas missions. Beginning on March 15, 2025, the DOD conducted military action that targeted Houthi terrorists in Yemen to prioritize American deterrence, freedom of navigation, and protection of American troops in the region. Through USCENTOM strikes from the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, nearly eight hundred Houthi terrorists and their leaders have been eradicated. Their ballistic missile strikes have decreased by sixty-nine percent, and their one-way attack drone strikes have decreased by fifty-five percent. Not only has the DOD gone after terrorists that threaten the safety of our allies, but it has also caused less aggression towards American troops that are on the ground and in the air every day for our safety.

Secretary Hegseth has made it a mission to issue policies prioritizing global deterrence and fiscal responsibility, ensuring that funds are used to emphasize lethality over 'woke' initiatives. Hegseth's DOD has saved nearly six billion dollars through collaboration with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and reallocated almost fifty billion dollars from Biden-era initiatives to the Pentagon to protect and arm our warfighters with the most significant resources imaginable. With this eradication of fraud, waste, and abuse from our Department of Defense and a concentration on money spent on being a dominant and efficient military, Secretary Pete Hegseth has made it a mission to prioritize a truly America-first workforce.

Secretary Hegseth's emphasis on warfighters has dramatically transformed the Department of Defense in just the first hundred days of his tenure. President Trump chose him to be a change agent who would decisively change the direction of the DOD to maintain a strong, focused, and secure America. He has done that and more, and our nation looks forward to seeing how the next few years will look even better than the successful first hundred days have been.