Hegseth Announces Competition for First New US Military Base in 40 Years Secretary of War Pete Hegseth unveiled plans for the first new US military base in over four decades, to be chosen through a merit-based competition among governors, and announced new Pentagon initiatives in a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday plans to build the first new US military base on American soil in over 40 years. The base will be called the Next Great American Base. Next Great American Base PlanSpeaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia during his State of the Force address, Hegseth said the site will be selected through a merit-based competition among state governors. The competition will be livestreamed on camera for the country to see. We haven't built a new base in this country in 40 years. That ends now, Hegseth declared.President Trump is a builder, and this project is about doing something bold, beautiful, and world-class for the great Americans who wear our nation's uniform. The new base would host an estimated 15,000 to 25,000 troops, according to Hegseth, an Army veteran. He promised the troops would get first-class barracks. Governors and adjutant generals would make their pitch to Hegseth and his leadership team, with the proceedings recorded and made public to eliminate political favoritism.President Trump might also participate in the selection process. In line with the president's executive order on beautiful civic architecture, this base will be a proud fortress of our republic, built with timeless classical architecture, Hegseth declared. The installation is expected to provide first-class living conditions, high-end training grounds and essential services such as health care and child care, while operating entirely off the commercial grid with independent power sources.For too long, our military has been bogged down by the same old tired Washington playbook: spending trillions on exquisite weapons systems, while our troops live in aging bases, outdated barracks, and with inadequate infrastructure. That era is over, Hegseth said. To back up our warfighters, when we bring the troops home, we won't just reshuffle troops onto legacy posts. We are going to build them beautiful new bases from the ground up, he added.States Compete for New BaseThe winning state will be chosen based on its ability to remove regulatory hurdles and bureaucracy to speed up construction, while offering the best package of land, community support, top-tier housing, schools and other services. The state that cuts the most red tape and offers the best package of land and support will win the historic honor of hosting the most lethal, modern, and beautiful military installation, Hegseth said. No backroom Washington deals.No political favoritism - just a straight-up, merit-based contest to see which state will partner with us to build the most modern, beautiful, and lethal military installation on the planet. Hegseth also announced several other initiatives as part of his six strategies to modernize the military. The first is the establishment of Autonomous Warfare Command, which will oversee rapid scaling of autonomous systems across the joint force.Military Modernization InitiativesThe second is a new America's Corps of Cadets, which partners with largely conservative colleges and universities on new Corps of Cadets programs. The third is the FORTRESS (Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability) America initiative, in which the Pentagon will aim to make bases self-sufficient, with their own independent power supplies, and a strategic reserve of munitions and other critical supplies.The fourth is a new Office of Religious Affairs led by a chaplain to ensure that chaplaincies and places of worship on bases across the country have sufficient resources. The fifth is Project Meridian, a commission that will be led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich to plan for the future of fighting. Hegseth also announced an exclusive plan to double cuts to generals and admirals in a major Pentagon shakeup.A Senate Republican is pushing merit-based military promotions, targeting Biden-era DEI policies. Hegseth's address was full of brags about his culture war triumphs at the Department of War. We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals.Hegseth Defends Military ReformsJust warriors. Just tough, ready, committed troops, the former Fox News host proclaimed. He also touted a recent push for testosterone testing to ensure lethality. Hegseth crowed about his reforms to impose gender-neutral standards set at the highest male standard for combat.He took a victory lap over the military's performance in Iran, Venezuela, and elsewhere, before lashing out at the media. Our so-called press makes Iranian state media look reasonable, he fumed, blasting reporters as anti-American. Our media is shameful. Lust for political retribution blinds them to the consequences of reckless so-called reporting.So-called journalists juiced up on Trump Derangement Syndrome. A free press is, of course, important, but partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they're undertaking is fundamentally anti-American, he later added. The announcement comes as the US faces another major Middle East troop withdrawal, but threat remains. Other news includes a Republican lawmaker's fraud crusade taking a dramatic turn as scandal engulfs his own career.Other News and Political DevelopmentsThe State Department spokesperson says 250,000 visas have been revoked, calling it unprecedented. The Louisiana AG takes aim at an illegal abortion-pill pipeline in a Supreme Court lawsuit. Tennessee pregnancy center exposes primitive abortion-pill mailers. The American Kratom Association addresses synthetic tablets found near Ole Miss deaths.A secret phone record seizure sparks a personal lawsuit from a GOP senator. Democratic Senate candidate dismisses bills around inappropriate curriculum as conspiracy-theory driven.