Pete Hegseth celebrates milestone Army recruiting numbers after Trump's election, but military nominee issues warning
The U.S. Army recently announced stellar recruiting numbers following the election of President Donald Trump. However, Trump's nominee for secretary of the Army has issued a warning regarding the military's enrollment numbers.
The official account of the U.S. Army announced on the X social media platform on Tuesday, "U.S. Army Recruiting had their most productive December in 15 years by enlisting 346 Soldiers daily into the world's greatest U.S. Army! Our recruiters have one of the toughest jobs — inspiring the next generation of soldiers to serve. Congratulations and keep up the great work!"
'America’s youth want to serve under the bold and strong "America First" leadership of Donald Trump.'
Newly appointed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth celebrated the Army recruiting figures on social media.
"In December 2024, the U.S. Army had its best recruiting number in 12 years. In January 2025, the Army hit its best recruiting number in 15 YEARS," Hegseth wrote on the X social media platform.
Hegseth concluded, "BOTTOM LINE: America’s youth want to serve under the bold and strong 'America First' leadership of Donald Trump."
During his confirmation hearing, Hegseth stated, “We've already seen it in recruiting numbers. There’s already been a surge since President Trump won the election."
When asked about the most significant challenges facing him if confirmed as defense secretary, Hegseth replied, "If confirmed, I expect that one of my most significant challenges would be ensuring the Army recruits qualified candidates in sufficient numbers."
Hegseth added, "I think that the decline in Army end strength in recent years is due to recruiting challenges rather than a conclusion that the Army required fewer soldiers to meet its national security objectives."
"This has occurred during an era of increasing security challenges," he continued. "Therefore, it is likely that the Army’s current end strength is insufficient to accomplish its mission."
Hegseth vowed to "review the Army’s current recruitment and retention standards and solicit input from all levels of the Army to ensure that the right standards are in place."
To remedy any recruiting issues, Hegseth explained that he would "consider all non-monetary options of expanding the pool of eligible recruits and improving Army recruiting, including alternative career routes, sabbaticals, desired duty station assignment, increased direct commissions for certain specialties, and others."
The U.S. Army recruited 55,300 new active-duty soldiers during the fiscal year 2024 that ended on Sept. 30. The target number was 55,000 soldiers. In the two previous fiscal years, the Army recruited fewer than 51,000 soldiers.
Christine Wormuth, the outgoing Army secretary, told the Associated Press last month that the Army is on pace to bring in 61,000 soldiers by the end of the 2025 fiscal year. Plus, she noted that over 20,000 additional young people had signed up for the Future Soldier Preparatory Course for 2026.
However, Trump's nominee for the secretary of the Army issued a warning that the United States needs more soldiers.
During his confirmation hearing, Army Secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll spoke on the topic of recruitment.
"We have the fewest number of active soldiers that we've had since World War II, even as conflict is erupting around the world. We need to fix that," Driscoll declared.
Driscoll continued, "I actually don't think the answer is throwing more money at the problem. I think it's nice to get things like GI Bill benefits. But I didn't join for that. I enlisted to serve the country."
Driscoll is an Army veteran who served from 2007 to 2011. He was a cavalry scout platoon leader with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. Driscoll deployed to Iraq in 2009 for nine months. He earned his Ranger tab and Combat Action Badge, according to Task & Purpose.
Driscoll also previously served as a senior adviser for JD Vance.
In the December announcement of Driscoll's nomination, Trump declared, "Dan brings a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent."
The United States has faced military recruitment issues for the past decade.
The United States military missed its recruiting goal by 41,000 personnel across all branches in 2023.
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Army vet learns daughter got attacked, but she's at college 1,000 miles away. So he's on a plane that day and settles things.
Bill Steinkirchner and his wife, Melanie, got a call Sunday morning from their college-student daughter that no parent wants to receive.
Melanie Steinkirchner wrote on Facebook that their daughter was walking to breakfast when a male assaulted her, took swings at her, said he had a gun, and threatened to kill her. She was able to duck down, run, and avoid getting hurt, but she was still shaken during her phone call home.
But Dad was undeterred, recalling to the station that he told police, 'No! I'm not gonna stop following him. This is my daughter. I’ve got to get this guy.'
But her home is in Southern California — and KIRO-TV noted that the Steinkirchners' daughter is a student at the University of Washington in Seattle. That's about 1,000 miles away.
But that distance was no barrier for Dad.
"As soon as we got that call, Bill booked a flight and was on his way to Seattle," Melanie wrote on Facebook. "I truly didn't want him taking this into his own hands, but I couldn't stop him."
Steinkirchner — owner of Stone Church Brewing in Corona — told the station he booked the next flight to Seattle with the intention of confronting the male who threatened his daughter.
“I think any father would’ve done the same thing," he told KIRO. "It’s my baby girl."
Oh, and by the way, Steinkirchner told Blaze News his previous profession was Army colonel.
Melanie wrote on Facebook that her husband landed in Seattle around 2:30 p.m. that same day and arrived at the university district around 3:30 p.m. Steinkirchner had descriptions of the male and received photos of him from his daughter and her fellow students, KIRO said, adding that students reported on a UW message board being harassed by the same male throughout the weekend.
Steinkirchner told KIRO he was retracing his daughter's steps — and around 4 p.m. he spotted the assailant, Melanie wrote.
"And I looked at him, and I said, 'Hey!'" Steinkirchner recounted to KIRO, adding that he yelled a few expletives at the male, who immediately ran away.
Steinkirchner added to the station that despite the fact that he turns 60 next month and was wearing a backpack, he chased after the male.
What's more, Steinkirchner added to KIRO that he was on the phone with police during the chase through an alley, noting that authorities ordered him to "stop following" the male and insisted that "you can’t chase him."
But Dad was undeterred, recalling to the station that he told police, "No! I'm not gonna stop following him. This is my daughter. I’ve got to get this guy."
KIRO said Steinkirchner finally cornered the male, and police soon arrived and handcuffed him.
Officers then brought Steinkirchner’s daughter to the scene to identify the suspect, the station said. Here's video from Steinkirchner of that moment:
Police then took 23-year-old Ryan Dileo into custody, KIRO said.
"A nearby security guard identified Dileo as the suspect in other similar incidents involving swinging a broom. Officers arrested Dileo for investigation of felony harassment. Dileo was booked in the King County Jail," Seattle police said in a statement to the station.
Melanie added the following to her Facebook post, "Dad to the rescue!! Bill finally got to see Kyra back on campus after the police dropped her back, and she ran to him and gave him the biggest hug."
You can view KIRO's video report and interview with Steinkirchner here.
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Naval Special Warfare Command, which includes Navy SEALs, celebrates Pride with rainbow-hued post — and gets excoriated
The United States Naval Special Warfare Command — which includes Navy SEALs —celebrated the first day of Pride Month with rainbow-hued message on its Facebook page.
The June 1 post includes the NSWC logo backed with horizontal bars colored red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple — along with the words "NSW, Dignity, Service, Respect, Equality, Pride." As you might expect, there was a just a little bit of backlash against the post.
'So glad I got out before this bulls**t took over.'
Sara Gonzales — host of BlazeTV's "Sara Gonzales Unfiltered" — told Blaze News that it's "truly terrifying that at a time when our own administration is drumming up conflict across the globe, seemingly chomping at the bit for World War III, they’re also stacking our military with diversity hires. The military is one of the most important places to recruit based on merit and strength, both physically and mentally, rather than who you choose to sleep with. If conflict does come our way, we’re screwed."
A number of commenters on the NSW Facebook post appeared equally disturbed:
- "So glad I got out before this bulls**t took over," one commenter wrote.
- "Fix yourself," another user said. "This is a disgrace."
- "This emboldens our enemies almost as much as a Joe Biden gaffe," another commenter declared.
- "Someone has lost the plot here," another user observed.
- "Man this woke sh.. is like a cancer and needs to be handled and [dealt] with as a threat to national security," another commenter stated. "Gone way too far."
Anything else?
The Department of Defense on Saturday night posted the following on X:
— (@)
Fox News said the DoD earlier Saturday "appeared to mix up" Pride Month and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month, as a now-deleted X post included the above "Celebrate Pride Month 2024" image with a Progress Pride Flag graphic along with the following message: "June is PTSD Awareness Month, and the DoD is committed to supporting service members and veterans affected by PTSD."
The U.S. government first recognized PTSD Awareness Month in June 2014, one year before June was declared Pride Month, the cable news network added.
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Joe Biden undermines US military as foreign powers make DISASTROUS moves
As President Joe Biden remains passive, foreign powers like China, Russia, and Iran are asserting their dominance over key regions.
“What’s going on here is we lack people with the guts, with the courage to speak out about what’s right versus what’s wrong,” Mark Levin explains, noting that while we sit back idly, Vladimir Putin is making moves.
“If we had a clean bill to provide armaments to Ukraine to stop Putin. Putin, who’s already annexed Crimea. Putin, who’s already annexed half of Georgia. Putin, who’s looking at the Balkans in Poland and Romania,” Levin says, adding, “Why are we deaf to this, why are we blind to this?”
“And why do we pretend? ‘Oh, China, they can take Taiwan,’” he mocks. “Taiwan is next. They control the South China Sea,” which he explains “from a military, national security perspective would be a disaster.”
In addition, the Red Sea is now “basically controlled by Iran,” which sees most of the world’s oil flows. “Wouldn’t that be a disaster, too?” Levin asks.
And he’s not finished.
“Why do the Communist Chinese control both ends of the Panama Canal? How the hell are our Navy supposed to get from one ocean to the other without going all the way down and all the way around? We built that damn canal,” he says.
Levin believes we’re not only allowing but provoking these moves.
“So, we’re provoking a fascist, a former KGB murderer, Putin. We’re provoking the Iranians by our very existence and defending our friends in Israel. We’re provoking the Communist Chinese by having our Navy move through the South China Sea,” Levin says.
“We’re provoking everybody with this idiot in the White House who’s undermining the United States military,” he adds.
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Video: Gun-toting jewelry store owner knows just what to do after burglar breaks in — and shocked crook makes hilarious exit
After closing up Sidrony Jewelers on Saturday, goldsmith Garrett Peddicord was settling in for "benchwork" in the back of his Omaha, Nebraska, store when something caught his eye on a security monitor, KETV-TV reported.
Turns out, a crook tossed a large rock through one of the store's front windows around 11:30 p.m. After shattered glass littered the floor, the burglar — of course dressed completely in black — entered the store through the new opening.
"That sort of unprovoked attack on what I've worked so hard to build here is pretty upsetting."
Peddicord spent about three years in the U.S. military in Afghanistan and also owns Athena Arms in Bellevue, the station said. Naturally, he knew exactly what to do.
“I typically carry a firearm on my waist, even after hours. It’s just one of those things,” he told KETV before patting his pockets and running through his mental checklist. “Keys, wallet, firearm.”
'Hey, m-effer!'
Peddicord drew his gun and headed out to where the action was, explaining to KETV that he purposely made loud steps to warn the crook somebody was coming. Peddicord added to the station that he also shouted, "Hey, m-effer!" — substituting a redacted version of the curse word we all know he used.
Suffice it to say, the burglar was quite scared, immediately throwing up his hands and almost daintily jogging to the exit before dutifully jumping through the opening in the window he busted.
"That sort of unprovoked attack on what I've worked so hard to build here is pretty upsetting," Peddicord added to the station.
Peddicord explained to KETV that the gun he carries "is the same as any of the other tools" he keeps in his workshop. “They all serve a purpose," he added to the station. "But this is the one tool that I hope to never have to use.”
Omaha police could not immediately confirm whether the burglar was caught, KETV noted.
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