Pete Hegseth administers oath to 40 recruits at Los Angeles Military Entrance Processing Station

Pete Hegseth is an American government official and former TV host who has served since January 25, 2025, as the 29th U.S. Secretary of Defense. Under a September 2025 executive order and the Pentagon’s current branding, he is styled as the “Secretary of War” and leads the Department of Defense/Department of War, overseeing all U.S. military services.

'Secretary of War' today is not a separate legal Cabinet position; it is an alternate or secondary title for the existing Secretary of Defense. By law, the Department of Defense headed by the Secretary of Defense remains the official executive department. A 2025 Trump executive order lets the Pentagon and its leader use the names “Department of War” and “Secretary of War” in communications and ceremonies, but statutory references and authorities are still tied to the Department of Defense and the Secretary of Defense. Historically, the Secretary of War led the old War Department (mainly the Army) until that structure was replaced in 1947–49 by the unified Department of Defense.

A Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) is a joint-service facility where applicants are screened to see if they are qualified to join the U.S. Armed Forces. At MEPS, applicants typically:

• Take or confirm the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test
• Undergo a full medical exam and drug/alcohol screening
• Complete background and security screening and review of legal/medical history
• Meet with a service counselor to pick or confirm a specific job and enlistment contract
• Take the oath of enlistment if they are accepted

The oath of enlistment is the formal promise new service members make when they join the U.S. military. The current standard oath (for enlisted personnel) is:

“I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

("So help me God" may be omitted for those who affirm instead of swear.)

The article specifies that 25 of the 40 recruits are joining the joint force’s active component and 5 enlisted in the California National Guard, but it does not list how many are going into each specific service branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard). Based on available reporting, the exact branch breakdown for all 40 recruits is not publicly specified.

After taking the oath at MEPS, typical next steps are:

• Finalizing the enlistment contract, including job (MOS/AFSC/Rating) and service commitment
• Receiving a ship date and travel arrangements for initial entry training
• Either: • Shipping almost immediately to basic training (for some active‑duty recruits), or • Entering the Delayed Entry Program/Delayed Training Program, then returning home until it is time to ship
• Reporting on the assigned date to the appropriate basic training location for their service branch (e.g., Army Basic Combat Training, Navy Recruit Training, Air Force Basic Military Training, Marine Corps boot camp, Space Force BMT, or Coast Guard boot camp)

Public swearing-in ceremonies at MEPS are routine, but they are usually led by local officers or MEPS personnel. Ceremonies personally led by very senior national officials—such as the Secretary of Defense/Secretary of War—are uncommon and tend to happen only when the official is visiting as part of a special tour or outreach event, like Hegseth’s “Arsenal of Freedom Tour.”