'We've Got Their Back,' Hegseth Tells Parents of Enlistees in Texas

Sept. 18, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

The War Department doesn’t serve politicians; it serves warfighters and the nation, said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth today in Austin, Texas, where he swore in new military recruits.

At the Austin Armed Forces Reserve Center, the secretary administered the oath of enlistment to more than a dozen young men and women joining the Texas National Guard, and then immediately after he administered the oath to more than 30 who were enlisting as federal troops across all branches of the military. 

Before administering those oaths, the secretary discussed the meaning of service and commitment. But he didn’t address the recruits directly; he addressed the crowd gathered to watch, which was mostly the parents of the recruits. 

“One of the great pleasures … for me in ceremonies like this is … you look out at the families; you look out at mom and dad and sisters and brothers who love these Americans more than anyone else on the planet,” he said. “I can see in [your faces] the fact that you’re realizing that you are gifting your greatest gift to the United States military, to the War Department, and I get chills just saying that.” 

Accepting that gift — America’s young people — from the parents who raised them is a huge responsibility, Hegseth said. He vowed that the War Department and military services will not squander that gift.

“My commitment to you is that with our every breath that we have, [we will] ensure that they are prepared, that they are backed up, that they are trained, that they are ready, that the missions we give them are clear, the equipment we give them is the best, and the training the most difficult and rigorous,” he said. 

The secretary told parents there exists a “Golden Rule” of the War Department, and that he asks commanders everywhere to apply it all the time, especially when it comes to honesty in the rigor applied to preparing troops to be the best they can be. 

“[That] is do unto your formation that which you would have done unto your son or daughter’s formation,” he said. “Meaning, if you’re compromising a standard, or you’re meeting a quota, or you’re changing training to soften it or make it easier for some subset of people, would you do that if your son or daughter were in that formation, or not?” 

Families, Hegseth said, are the backbone of what creates America’s warfighters — young men and women who choose to serve. And he said his role as one of those at the Pentagon is to serve those young men and women and all who choose to defend the nation.

“We are here at the highest echelons of the Pentagon to serve the warfighter, full stop,” he said. “Not to serve politicians; [to] serve those [who] do the difficult things in dark and dangerous places.” 

As a young officer in the military himself, Hegseth told parents and families what he wanted to know was that when he had difficult things to do as a warrior, that he had the support of his leaders and nation. He told those families that their sons and daughters will be asked to do difficult things and that they will have support. 

“Things will go wrong, things will break, mistakes will be made, but we need warriors, Americans, willing to step out and take the risks and do those difficult things,” Hegseth said. “President [Donald J.] Trump has your back, I have your back, and I’m absolutely honored that we raise such men, that we raise such women, who are willing to do something bigger than themselves and serve.”