New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, September 29, called an abrupt in-person meeting of hundreds of US military officials to lay down a directives to the troops including end to "woke culture" in the military and "male-level" physical fitness standards. He also took a jibe at the previous leadership, saying the "overly-sensitive" leadership ends right away.

Hegseth's speech came as the country faces a potential government shutdown this week.

Pete Hegseth also said that the US military has promoted too many leaders for the wrong reasons based on race, gender quotas and "historic firsts." He said, "The era of politically correct, overly sensitive do not-hurt-anyone's-feelings leadership ends right now at ev...