Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered his annual State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 30, 2026, announcing six new initiatives aimed at reshaping the U.S. military for future warfare. He spoke to a live audience of 600 officers and enlisted service members as well as a national broadcast audience.
Hegseth opened by declaring that his three stated priorities, reviving the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence, had been achieved. “I’m proud to stand on this stage and report that the warrior ethos has been revived, our military is being rebuilt and American deterrence is back,” he said. He also highlighted high recruitment and retention numbers and the restoration of military standards that existed in 1990.
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The State of the Force is STRONG.
We have revived the warrior ethos, rebuilt our military, and after years of weakness, AMERICAN DETERRENCE IS BACK. pic.twitter.com/9HRpPAYuw3
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 1, 2026
Autonomous Warfare Command and Project Meridian
The most sweeping of the six announcements was the creation of a new four-star combatant command called Autonomous Warfare Command, or Autowarcom, which Hegseth described as representing “the fastest peacetime shift in modern history.” The command will focus on building autonomous and robotic capabilities across the joint force. Hegseth also directed a new organization called Project Agincourt to establish the pathway for Autowarcom and prototype a new acquisition model, while new military occupational specialties will be created across each military department to support the transition.
“Today, with Autowarcom, we institutionalize, and we supercharge, the era of super intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems, all in order to win,” Hegseth said. He also unveiled Project Meridian, a study of the future of warfare to be led by the Pentagon’s chief technology officer in partnership with the private sector. Hegseth State of the Force initiatives Hegseth described it as “futuristic, on purpose,” saying its goal is to identify domains the military must conquer and capabilities it must master “to achieve technological and military dominance on the battlefield for decades to come.”
Fortress America, a New Base and Religious Affairs
Hegseth announced a program called Fortress America, designed to make every American military installation energy-independent and hardened against intrusion while bringing critical supply chains home. “No matter the circumstance, this department will have the power, the equipment and the supplies you need to take the fight to the enemy,” he said.
Tied to that concept is The Next Great American Base, a call for states to compete to host a new, self-sustaining military installation of 15,000 to 25,000 troops. “If your state wants the honor of hosting 15,000 to 25,000 of America’s great troops, show us why and how you’re going to do it,” Hegseth said. He also introduced America’s Corps of Cadets, a program partnering with six universities to commission more officers beyond the traditional service academies, and an Office of Religious Affairs that will report directly to his office. “This is not going to be a paper-pushing shop; it’s going to have real teeth,” he said of the new office.
What Comes Next for the War Department
Hegseth framed all six announcements as investments in the warfighter, calling service members the top one percent of society. “Go forth this day and do good things, hard things. President Trump has your back, and so do I,” he said in closing.
The address came exactly one year after Hegseth delivered a similar set of directives at Quantico aimed at strengthening military culture. The War Department is expected to release further details on timelines and funding for each of the six new programs in the weeks ahead.
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