Pete Hegseth State of the Force on YouTube_AI and Drone Annoucements_Project Meridian with Musk Palmer and Gingrich_est Americas Corps of Cadets

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's State of the Force Address (As Delivered), Speech Sept. 30, 2026, https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4616486/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseths-state-of-the-force-address-as-delivered/

Secretary Hegseth Announces Six Major Initiatives at Quantico Speech, Sept. 30, 2026, "Please find the memo for Project Meridian here [may download automatically, https://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/30/2004009287/-1/-1/1/COMMISSIONING-OF-PROJECT-MERIDIAN.PDF]. (https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4615424/secretary-hegseth-announces-six-major-initiatives-at-quantico-speech/)"

Pete Hegseth, State of the Force Address, September 30, 2026 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/live/ZQPnYP-eq1I?si=wek78i0IFmByIyRc -

00:26:33 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated "First, today at my direction we are announcing the commencement of Autonomous Warfare Command or Autowarcon [sic ambiguous Autowarcom]."

00:26:55 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated "Drone warfare supercharged by SI [sic ambiguous Artificial Intelligence AI] enabled targeting is the biggest battlefield revolution in generations."

00:28:45 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated "Our existing high-end kill chains capable of striking unexpectedly and decisively, we also need...mass drones and other autonomous attritable systems that flip the cost exchange and impose unrelenting pressure on an adversary on the battlefield."

00:29:07 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated "the need for a purpose built system, that maximizes the ability to adapt." 00:29:09 of 00:57:34, Hegseth continued, stating "we will fuse procurement with Operations at scale. And then allow war-fighters, and engineers, and entrepreneurs to learn, adapt and rapidly iterate on their domain and their mission."

00:30:45 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to use an analogy of moving skilled 'craftsman' or 'union trade members' or manufacturing company employees geographically closer to soldiers at war to explain his proposal for "entrepreneurs" in close relationship with weapons manufacturing with a justification through 'timelines' and 'scale what works'. Hegseth seems to be promising a technological transition that changes the nature of Military Leadership, i.e. the job descriptions and work responsibilities of Military leaders with the intention of systemic influence.

00:35:03 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to insinuate that the questions and answers a Military leader might consider would be better off generated from one source, a predictive source.

00:35:21 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth states, "Under the leadership of the Department's Chief Technology Officer, Emile Michael, Project Meridian will be co-led by 3 [three] of our Nation's best minds, Elon Musk, Palmer Lucky, and Newt Gingrich, all of whom are up in the audience with us today, please stand if you would."

00:39:01 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth states, "Every major military installation in America is going to generate its own power. Independent of the civilian grid."

00:44:06 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to describing a diorama wherein 'troops' live in a 'clean' environment with 'schools' and amenities. 

00:47:52 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth states "enter this new Corps of cadets. To meet this critical need we're partnering with a new crop of premiere Higher Ed institutions.  Including, Louisiana State University LSU [speaker included acronym], Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University, and Hillsdale College. These schools have stepped forward to answer the call of duty and establish new Corps of cadets in partnership with the Department of War. So today at my direction we are formally establishing a program to assist these Colleges and Universities, it's called America's Corps of Cadets." 

00:52:05 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth states "Our chaplains were buried echelon's deep, waiting for permission. We ask chaplains to serve and sacrifice and then sideline them with paperwork and process. And that ends now. Today at my direction, I'm establishing The Office of Religious Affairs. Starting today and for Secretaries of War after me The Office of Religious Affairs will report straight-to-the-top. No staff filters to bureaucratic dilution, again a direct line to the Secretary. This is not going to be a paper-pushing shop. It's going to have real teeth, it will protect budgets, demand infrastructure and strengthen religious support."

00:52:56 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth states "As Psalm 33:12 extolls us, Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord. 250 years ago [Two Hundred and Fifty years ago] we rejected an Earthly King, an Ocean away, appealing instead to a Heavenly King, above. George Washington made sure that the Continental Army had Chaplains back-at-the-beginning. Back in 1775 [seventeen seventy-five]. That force appealed to Heaven and we still do today. Our national motto is, after all, In God We Trust. Today we reaffirm that Trust. We placing spiritual health at the same level as physical health. Our Department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God. Because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle, is Spiritual. God is Good. Evil is not. And America's military must understand the difference."

00:53:58 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth states "To our incredible Chaplains and religious support teams, 'live your callings', stand firm, preach truth. Minister to the flock. Fear no man. Or as the Psalmists put it, "The Lord is on my side. I will not fear. What can Man do onto me." [speaker gestures for assent before continuing, stating] Amen to that."

00:55:08 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth references oaths, perhaps oaths of office, through the phrase 'so help me God' and states "With the sentiment of the 6th [sixth] Chapter of the Book of Isaiah, 'Lord, here I am. Send me.'. Send me to fight the Red Coats, send me to fight the Communists, send me to fight the Islamists, 'send me.' ."

00:56:38 of 00:57:34, https://www.youtube.com/@deptofwar, State of the Force Address, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth states his final line in his September 30th Address "We are the War Department and we will never-back-down. God speed, thank you very much."

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