OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
10:32 AM – Saturday, January 10, 2026
At a Los Angeles stop on his “Arsenal of Freedom Tour,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth has sworn in 40 new military recruits from the West Coast.
On Friday, Hegseth paid a visit to the Los Angeles Military Entrance Processing Station (LA MEPS) for a brief swearing-in ceremony in California’s largest city.
Hegseth’s tour is “a monthlong call to action to revitalize America’s manufacturing might and reenergize the nation’s workforce within the defense industrial base,” according to a news release from the U.S. Department of War. The first stop was at a Newport News, Virginia, shipyard on January 5th.
“I’m honored to be here with you, and I’m grateful to the families, because they clearly raised great Americans,” Hegseth said to the new enlistees and their families. “And my promise to you — our charge to you — is that we will make sure we have their back, that they are prepared and they are equipped, and that they are never in a fair fight [and] that we rebuild our military, restore the warrior ethos and reestablish deterrence.”
“I look at this room, at these young Americans, [and] I see the best of our country. And my job as secretary of war is to serve — to serve your commanders, serve those who train you [and] serve those who prepare you — so that you are prepared, if and when that day comes, and we have your back in the process,” Hegseth said before administering the enlistment oath.
“Good luck and Godspeed for your training. We know you’ll make your parents, your family, your communities, your churches [and] all those you know proud,” he continued, adding, “You’re about to enter the greatest fighting force that the world has ever seen.”
Several videos came out on social media of Hegseth’s interactions with the new recruits, demonstrating how he is pushing his “fit, not fat” agenda for the military.
One clip showed Hegseth, 45, lifting weights while others trained with other exercises like push-ups, with the caption, “FROM THE TOP DOWN—WE WILL BE FIT, NOT FAT.”
One clip showed Hegseth, 45, lifting weights while others trained with other exercises like push-ups, with the caption, “FROM THE TOP DOWN—WE WILL BE FIT, NOT FAT.”
In another, Hegseth explained to recruits in Army and Navy shirts why physical training is important to start the day off right.
“I want to reinforce from the very top that the basics matter. Being prepared, being fit. You’re all going to be young officers setting the example leading from the front,” he advised.
“You’re entering a force that will be the most powerful in the world, but it’s only powered by the men and women that lead it,” Hegseth said to the troops in another clip.
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