President Donald Trump has previously decided that the Department of Defense will regain its old name, the Department of War. And the meeting is apparently intended to inform about the new direction.
From now on, the only mission for the newly established Department of War is this: To wage war, he said according to American media.
To prepare for war and to prepare for victories. We do not rest and we do not compromise in this endeavor.
President Trump, who is also the US Commander-in-Chief, says that one should "revive the warrior spirit" in the American military.
Together we will revive the warrior spirit. And it is this spirit that has won and built this nation, he said.
The President also took the opportunity to highlight his controversial decision to send the National Guard to several cities in order to combat crime and reduce the number of undocumented migrants in the US.
It's also a war, a war within the country.
Created confusion
The meeting is described as highly unusual. Hegseth called in hundreds of military personnel from US military bases around the world, without saying in advance why.
According to The Washington Post, the total number of participants may exceed 1,000.
The scope and urgency of the meeting have caused confusion and concern in the ranks, writes the newspaper - not least after the Trump administration's dismissal of several military leaders earlier this year. Some fear further layoffs or drastic reorganizations.
People are very concerned. They have no idea what this means, says a source with insight.
New strategy
The meeting takes place at the same time as the White House is rearranging its military priorities and has recently sent military to several American cities to "combat crime".
According to the new strategy, the Department of Defense headquarters Pentagon will in the future downplay the country's role in Europe and Africa.
To The Washington Post describes several anonymous sources as a growing frustration over the plan, which they consider short-sighted and potentially irrelevant, especially in light of President Donald Trump's "very personal and sometimes contradictory" approach to foreign policy.
