As part of his nationwide “Send Me Tour,” United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he addressed Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and administered the oath of enlistment to new recruits ahead of the Tennessee-Alabama football game.
The “Send Me Tour” is a national military outreach and enlistment initiative launched by U.S. defense officials to engage with prospective enlistees, speak to military cadets and administer oaths of enlistment to new service members, according to the U.S. Department of War.
Addressing audience members at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday, Hegseth spoke to both new enlistees and cadets from ROTC before a football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The war secretary also administered the oath of enlistment to young men and women joining all military service branches and the Tennessee National Guard.
“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, to fight against whatever threatens our shores, our interests and our people.”
Hegseth said those stepping up to serve are true peacemakers who preserve “peace through strength” and ensure the safety of the American homeland.
“If there’s one entity that should win the Nobel Peace Prize every single year, it actually should be the United States military,” he 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.”
