Drill instructors, Hegseth said, would be empowered “to instill healthy fear in new recruits.”

essentialsaltes · 2026-01-13T15:25:29-0600

Pentagon clarifies Hegseth’s ‘putting hands on recruits’ statement

“Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits,” he said. “This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried and true methods to motivate new recruits, to make them the warriors they need to be.”

“Of course, you can’t do, like, nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized ... inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs. No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

[So bullying and hazing are wrong, but we can't talk about 'bullying' or 'hazing'? Well, how bad is this problem, anyway?]

The most recently compiled report on military hazing, from 2024, shows that about one in five hazing and bullying complaints is substantiated, and that reporting numbers, while on a recent upswing, are relatively low, with 138 hazing complaints for that year. The Marine Corps has accounted for a disproportionately high share of hazing allegations since congressionally mandated reporting began in 2020.

--
Also, I can't wait for Hegseth to say "I was hazed, but I turned out okay."

Yttrium · 2026-01-13T15:47:21-0600

My first drill instructor didn't need to be rough. He could chill your soul with a glare. My later instructors, not so much. But okay, you need to break the kids down and build them back up. Just remember one word.

Medic!

Always in His Presence · 2026-01-13T16:01:58-0600

essentialsaltes said:
Pentagon clarifies Hegseth’s ‘putting hands on recruits’ statement

“Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits,” he said. “This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried and true methods to motivate new recruits, to make them the warriors they need to be.”

“Of course, you can’t do, like, nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized ... inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs. No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

[So bullying and hazing are wrong, but we can't talk about 'bullying' or 'hazing'? Well, how bad is this problem, anyway?]

The most recently compiled report on military hazing, from 2024, shows that about one in five hazing and bullying complaints is substantiated, and that reporting numbers, while on a recent upswing, are relatively low, with 138 hazing complaints for that year. The Marine Corps has accounted for a disproportionately high share of hazing allegations since congressionally mandated reporting began in 2020.

--
Also, I can't wait for Hegseth to say "I was hazed, but I turned out okay."

When I went through in the early 80's the sound of those hard soled shoes were enough to make you squirm.

We are training warriors, empathy classes are not part of the curriculum and will get you killed in wartime.

Those who have not served have no clue what it takes.

Military Recruitment Surges to 15-Year High in 2025-2026 | Military.net

U.S. military recruitment reaches strongest numbers in 15 years as all branches exceed goals for fiscal 2025 and 2026.

www.military.net

Vambram · 2026-01-13T16:33:39-0600

Always in His Presence said:
When I went through in the early 80's the sound of those hard soled shoes were enough to make you squirm.

We are training warriors, empathy classes are not part of the curriculum and will get you killed in wartime.

Those who have not served have no clue what it takes.

Military Recruitment Surges to 15-Year High in 2025-2026 | Military.net

U.S. military recruitment reaches strongest numbers in 15 years as all branches exceed goals for fiscal 2025 and 2026.

www.military.net

That's the same way it was for me and my fellow recruits back in 1993.

Maria Billingsley · 2026-01-13T17:13:58-0600

essentialsaltes said:
Pentagon clarifies Hegseth’s ‘putting hands on recruits’ statement

“Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits,” he said. “This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried and true methods to motivate new recruits, to make them the warriors they need to be.”

“Of course, you can’t do, like, nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized ... inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs. No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

[So bullying and hazing are wrong, but we can't talk about 'bullying' or 'hazing'? Well, how bad is this problem, anyway?]

The most recently compiled report on military hazing, from 2024, shows that about one in five hazing and bullying complaints is substantiated, and that reporting numbers, while on a recent upswing, are relatively low, with 138 hazing complaints for that year. The Marine Corps has accounted for a disproportionately high share of hazing allegations since congressionally mandated reporting began in 2020.

--
Also, I can't wait for Hegseth to say "I was hazed, but I turned out okay."

Hegseth is redefining " healthy fear". Lets just call it what it really is "reckless indifference " .

Reckless indifference defined:
Reckless indifference is the conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that one's actions will cause harm. It occurs when a person is aware that their behavior is dangerous but chooses to proceed anyway, showing a total lack of concern for the potential consequences to others.

Healthy fear defined:
Healthy fear is a protective instinct that alerts you to danger and encourages wise, cautious behavior to ensure safety.While unhealthy fear is often irrational and debilitating, healthy fear serves as a moral and physical compass that preserves life.

Thanks for sharing.
Be blessed

Tuur · 2026-01-13T17:40:22-0600

Maria Billingsley said:
Hegseth is redefining " healthy fear". Lets just call it what it really is "reckless indifference " .

Reckless indifference defined:
Reckless indifference is the conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that one's actions will cause harm. It occurs when a person is aware that their behavior is dangerous but chooses to proceed anyway, showing a total lack of concern for the potential consequences to others.

Healthy fear defined:
Healthy fear is a protective instinct that alerts you to danger and encourages wise, cautious behavior to ensure safety.While unhealthy fear is often irrational and debilitating, healthy fear serves as a moral and physical compass that preserves life.

Thanks for sharing.
Be blessed

Being physically unable to serve, my only knowledge of boot camp comes from a father and uncles who went through it in WWII; older friends who went through it during the 1970s, a bother-in-law who went through it in the 1980s; and nephews who have went through it in this century. None went through it during the Biden Administration, so I don't know how it was then, but have been told it became some, ah, less intimidating. Mark that down as hearsay.

Boot camp is what it is. Those I know who've been through it talk about the aspect of fear. A comment I heard a few weeks ago was that if a boot couldn't take being yelled out, they weren't going to be able to take active combat. I've hear it claimed that this fear also helps boots retain what they are taught. I don't know if that's true or not.

I do know that all boots are kept on suicide watch. That's been a policy for a long time and I doubt that's changed.. And I was amused to learn that boots can make one call home when they arrive to let care givers or significant other know they arrived. Far different than what I heard about WWII boot camp, though then phone service was spotty. And I know that it's tough. I also know from family and friend that combat is far tougher. And it's an unfortunate point of history that recruits who aren't trained for combat die at higher rates than those who are.

I'll defer to those here who've been through boot camp. All I know of it is second-hand.

Aryeh Jay · 2026-01-13T17:47:55-0600

Need to bring back night marches in the swamps of Paris Island. A few recruits dying every month keep them on their toes.

wing2000 · 2026-01-13T21:07:44-0600

Yttrium said:
My first drill instructor didn't need to be rough. He could chill your soul with a glare.

That's how it should be. One learns real quick to obey else be subject to a variety of punishments....

Yttrium said:
My later instructors, not so much.

How many times did you go through boot camp? [...in the Army of the 1980's, we had one drill sergeant who lived in our heads 24 hours a day].

Tuur · 2026-01-13T21:30:42-0600

Aryeh Jay said:
Need to bring back night marches in the swamps of Paris Island. A few recruits dying every month keep them on their toes.

You might want to look into some specific training US Marines and Navy personnel go through on evacuating an aircraft that sinks into the water. Part of it involves evacuating the aircraft after it goes underwater upside down.

Then there was an uncle who didn't take live hand grenade training all that seriously and treated the real thing as though it were a training grenade. Had the sergeant not slapped him down, he likely would have been killed.

Training is perhaps much more dangerous that some may think, and it's still not as dangerous as combat.

Yttrium · 2026-01-13T21:35:31-0600

wing2000 said:
How many times did you go through boot camp? [...in the Army of the 1980's, we had one drill sergeant who lived in our heads 24 hours a day].

Just once, but the first instructor got diverted on to other things halfway through, and a couple others took his place. The replacements were very nice. I got the impression that it was all very unexpected. It was Air Force, so the standards weren't as tough, although it was tough enough for the first instructor to weed out a few people.

(I also went through the officer version, and our instructor there tried to act nasty, but it was hard to take him seriously.)

MarcusGregor · 2026-01-14T08:34:01-0600

They want Full Metal Jacket boot camp. These guys love fictional depictions of "strength" and masculinity.

iluvatar5150 · 2026-01-14T08:58:02-0600

MarcusGregor said:
They want Full Metal Jacket boot camp. These guys love fictional depictions of "strength" and masculinity.

Who thinks that the wannabe-socom-operator known for alcoholism, sexual harassment, financial mismanagement, first amendment violations, fat-shaming his subordinates, and ordering potential war crimes (ETA: and publicly promoting mysoginistic religious leaders) has any idea of what constitutes a "healthy" interaction between two individuals?

7thKeeper · 2026-01-14T10:30:39-0600

iluvatar5150 said:
Who thinks that the wannabe-socom-operator known for alcoholism, sexual harassment, financial mismanagement, first amendment violations, fat-shaming his subordinates, and ordering potential war crimes (ETA: and publicly promoting mysoginistic religious leaders) has any idea of what constitutes a "healthy" interaction between two individuals?

I mentioned this before when there was a thread about Hegseth and the speech he'd called everyone for, that he just screams of "keyboard warrior" in everything he does. Insecure as I've seen a man be. Clearly has no idea what actual and good military leadership looks like.

iluvatar5150 · 2026-01-14T10:42:59-0600

7thKeeper said:
I mentioned this before when there was a thread about Hegseth and the speech he'd called everyone for, that he just screams of "keyboard warrior" in everything he does. Insecure as I've seen a man be. Clearly has no idea what actual and good military leadership looks like.

Never having been in the military myself, it's hard for me to gauge the veracity of these comments, but I've seen a few occasions where others have analyzed his service record and pointed out how his specific assignments point to a generally poor record as a leader. I forget the details, but it was along the lines of being assigned X role at Y rank for Z amount of time is indicative of being bad at your job and unable to secure something more impactful or prestigious.

Vambram · 2026-01-14T12:40:59-0600

Clearly, the liberals whom continue to be so extremely negative about Pete Hegseth really don't agree with the hundreds of thousands of young men and women that are joining the military this past year in record numbers.

RocksInMyHead · 2026-01-14T12:47:18-0600

Vambram said:
Clearly, the liberals whom continue to be so extremely negative about Pete Hegseth really don't agree with the hundreds of thousands of young men and women that are joining the military this past year in record numbers.

Is that because of Hegseth's leadership, or is it because of general economic uncertainty and a struggling job market (especially at the entry level)?

Vambram · 2026-01-14T13:06:52-0600

RocksInMyHead said:
Is that because of Hegseth's leadership, or is it because of general economic uncertainty and a struggling job market (especially at the entry level)?

As an NCO with more than 27 years in the Army and in the National Guard, I believe these new recruits are joining because of Trump's and Hegseth’s leadership.

iluvatar5150 · 2026-01-14T13:50:46-0600

Vambram said:
Clearly, the liberals whom continue to be so extremely negative about Pete Hegseth really don't agree with the hundreds of thousands of young men and women that are joining the military this past year in record numbers.

Or perhaps the changes implemented during the Biden administration are bearing fruit:

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/nx-s1-5397229/military-recruiting-numbers-are-up-but-the-rise-started-before-the-election

Vambram · 2026-01-14T16:43:06-0600

iluvatar5150 said:
Or perhaps the changes implemented during the Biden administration are bearing fruit:

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/nx-s1-5397229/military-recruiting-numbers-are-up-but-the-rise-started-before-the-election

Or perhaps I have a bridge to the moon that I can sell you.

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Drill instructors, Hegseth said, would be empowered “to instill healthy fear in new recruits.”

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