The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free (2024), written by Pete Hegseth

In this great book, Secretary Hegzeth presents a critique of the modern U.S. military apparatus. Secretary Hegseth draws on his personal experience as an Army combat veteran (serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay) to argue that progressive ideologies, political correctness, and administrative overreach have corrupted America’s military leadership, undermined meritocracy, and compromised combat readiness.

He establishes the thesis of the book: the U.S. military has shifted its priority from total lethality, victory, and merit-based standards toward social engineering, diversity initiatives, and political correctness. He argues that the traditional “warrior ethos”—which relies on toughness, discipline, and male brotherhood—is being dismantled by civilian ideologues and compliant military leadership.

My favorite, Chapter 3: Cowboys Led by Cowards, he compares frontline combat leaders with high-level Pentagon officials and generals, Hegseth asserts that ground-level “cowboys” (warfighters willing to take aggressive action) are increasingly managed by risk-averse, politically sensitive bureaucrats. He criticizes top brass for prioritizing political career advancement over defending their troops’ needs and mission effectiveness.

There are three takeaways from his book:

• Lethality Over Ideology
• Restoring Meritocracy
• Protecting the Warrior Ethos

The book has my highest recommendation with one minor complaint. The publisher should have used a slightly larger font so aging eyes can immerse themselves in what is otherwise a great work!