KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Volunteer State lived up to its name Saturday. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth administered the oath of enlistment to 95 new recruits at the University of Tennessee, young men and women headed into every branch of the armed forces and the Tennessee National Guard. “The next generation is raising their right hand and saying, ‘SEND ME,’” the Department of War posted. “The patriots of Tennessee have answered the call.”
Speaking to UT ROTC cadets, Hegseth put their service in the long line of American history. “For 251 years, Americans raised their right hand and said, ‘send me;’ send me to fight the redcoats, send me to fight the Nazis, send me to fight the communists, send me to fight the Islamists,” he said. “And now, you’ve said, ‘send me’ to defend [your] nation.”
“If there’s one entity that should win the Nobel Peace Prize every single year, it actually should be the United States military,” the Secretary said. “Peace through strength: the reason our people live free, the reason we get to play football games like this one today, are because we are stronger than any other nation in the world.” He told the cadets the War Department’s three core principles are to restore the warrior ethos, rebuild the military and reestablish deterrence.
Hegseth also toured Smith & Wesson, the iconic gunmaker that moved its headquarters from Massachusetts to Maryville, Tennessee, in 2023. “Great to join @SecWar and @RepTimBurchett for a tour of the iconic American brand,” Sen. Bill Hagerty posted. “Faith, Freedom, and the Second Amendment go hand in hand here in Tennessee.” Burchett welcomed the Secretary “to Rocky Top,” and Sen. Marsha Blackburn joined him at Neyland Stadium for Tennessee vs. Alabama on the Third Saturday in October.
Tennesseans can answer the call at the ballot box, too. Early voting runs through Oct. 29 ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. Find your polling place on the GoVoteTN app. Watch Secretary Hegseth swear in the recruits in the Department of War video above.
