This Week in DOD: 100 Days of Success, Accelerated Retention, Bringing Back Discharged Service Members Published April 25, 2025 By C. Todd Lopez Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told young military leaders, April 23, 2025, that since January, the Defense Department has focused entirely on restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence. "This week at the Department of Defense, we got to work for our warfighters," said Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell during the Weekly Sitrep video, which highlights department activities each week. 01:44 "Secretary Hegseth visited Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to meet with emerging leaders at the United States Army War College and deliver remarks on President [Donald J.] Trump's historic first 100 days in office." At the school, Hegseth spoke with senior, field-grade officers and civilian equivalents who are in the final stretch of the school's 10-month strategic leadership resident program. Graduates of the course will be eligible for major command and civilian equivalent executive leadership positions. The secretary said over the past 100 days, the department has been working to restore the warrior ethos by refocusing the military on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, and standards and readiness. Photo Details / Download Hi-Res "To be lethal, you have to trust that the warrior alongside you in battle, or the troops fighting in the units that many of you will lead, are capable — truly, physically capable — of doing what is necessary under fire," Hegseth said, adding that such a standard is especially applicable to leaders. Back in Washington, Navy Secretary John Phelan contributed to the department's efforts by removing yet another program that distracts sailors from their warfighting mission. "Navy Secretary John Phelan announced this week that he's rescinding climate change initiatives established by the previous administration, which is fantastic," Parnell said. "President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have been very clear: less woke, more warfighting." Phelan signed a memorandum, April 22, 2025, rescinding the Navy's "Climate Action 2030" program, saying that action would free up the service to focus on a more lethal and ready naval force, with a goal of achieving "peace through strength." "Today, I'm focusing on warfighters first," Phelan said. "Our focus needs to be on lethality and our warfighters." Parnell said while the Navy was refocusing on lethality, the Army caught the spotlight with top-notch recruiting and retention efforts. "Some record-breaking news on the warfighter front. For the last seven years, the United States Army has met or exceeded its retention goal. However, this year, that accomplishment comes nearly six months ahead of schedule," he added. The Army revealed, April 22, 2025, that it had surpassed its fiscal year 2025 reenlistment goal by retaining 15,600 soldiers, 800 more than the target of 14,800. That feat was accomplished well before the end of the fiscal year in September. Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Incentives such as current station stabilization, specific training opportunities, overseas assignments, or choice of duty station within the continental United States partially contributed to the Army's success. "That is some great work [by] the United States Army," Parnell said. Also this week, the secretary signed a series of memos, each focused on strengthening the military. "Secretary Hegseth signed three memos this week, the first to restore good order and discipline through balanced accountability. In other words, we want to embolden our commanders to be able to lead fearlessly," Parnell said. "Second, a memo to eliminate the availability of ridiculous medical waivers. And finally, a memo to further clarify how we will bring back valuable service members discharged for their refusal to take the experimental COVID-19 vaccine and to ensure those service members are welcomed back with open arms." The department released a memorandum, April 23, 2025, directing more clarity regarding the department's efforts to bring back to the military service members who were involuntarily separated for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as providing additional remedies for those service members. "We're doing everything we can, as quickly as we can, to reinstate those who were affected by that policy," Hegseth said. In the memo signed, April 24, 2025, Hegseth directed the secretaries of each military department to conduct a comprehensive review of their Military Equal Opportunity and DOD civilian Equal Employment Opportunity programs to ensure prompt and impartial investigations, fair treatment to all parties involved, and timely and appropriate resolution of allegations of discrimination. Photo Details / Download Hi-Res "The DOD has equal opportunity programs for service members and civilians to report discrimination and harassment — that's a good thing," he said. "But what's not good is when these programs are weaponized — some individuals use these programs in bad faith to retaliate against superiors or peers." The secretary said the memorandum, titled "Restoring Good Order and Discipline Through Balanced Accountability," will address that problem and enable commanders to again lead with confidence. Finally, the department released a memorandum today, directing the undersecretary of defense for personal and readiness to conduct a review of existing medical waivers offered now by the department and to determine if those waivers should still be offered. Among them, Hegseth said, are those for medical conditions such as schizophrenia, paraphilic disorders, congestive heart failure and the chronic use of oxygen. "Applicants for military service ... must be physically and mentally able to perform their duties under the harshest of conditions without risk to themselves or others," Hegseth said. "That's why we need clear, high and uncompromising medical and mental standards for those who desire to serve."