Pete Hegseth emphasizes Fort Benning name, but gives nod to Hal Moore in speech at base
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized the name of Fort Benning but showed appreciation for its former namesake while speaking to the newest graduates of the Army base’s Officer Candidate School.
Making a public appearance at the Columbus-area military installation Thursday, Hegseth spoke to the 77 newest officers of OCS Class 501-25, who entered their new ranks as second lieutenants with their loved ones in the audience and the top brass at the podium. The training prepares participants to be leaders in the military.
“It is great to be here at Fort Benning, and it is Fort Benning,” Hegseth said toward the beginning of his speech.
The name of the base has changed twice in just a couple years. Originally named Fort Benning for Confederate Gen. Henry L. Benning, the U.S. government ordered it changed in 2023. Officials settled on Fort Moore to honor Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore.
Before being appointed defense secretary by President Donald Trump, Hegseth made it clear he objected to the renaming of bases such as Fort Benning in an interview with Ben Shapiro. He ordered that the name be changed back to Fort Benning earlier this year, but this time in honor of U.S. Army Cpl. Fred G. Benning, who served in World War I, military officials said. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in that war.
The Moore family objected to the possible name change in an opinion piece, with Steve Moore, a son of Hal and Julia Moore, saying he was “disappointed” by the possibility.
Hegseth did mention the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore when speaking of the awards given to some of the Officer Candidate School graduates. One of the awards given out at the ceremony was the Hal and Julia Moore Character Award. Hegseth mentioned Moore’s completion of the Infantry Officer Advanced Course at Benning.
“You can take part (in) his philosophy, which is ‘There’s always one more thing you can do to increase your odds of success,’” Hegseth said.
“My first mission in combat, as a lieutenant, would not have been successful without taking that approach to heart,” Hegseth said.
Speaking to media after his speech, Hegseth further said Hal Moore was a “hell of a warrior” and that the military wants to “honor him any way we can,” but he also said changing the name back to Fort Benning was important because of the “legacy” for people who went through the base.
Pete Hegseth again criticizes DEI, other initiatives
Hegseth said the U.S. wants to instill a “warrior ethos” in soldiers and criticized initiatives he has classified as “woke” in the past.
“No more DEI, no more quotas, no more low standards, no more trans madness, no more climate nonsense,” Hegseth told the graduates. “Merit based, color blind, gender neutral.”
He also echoed arguments he has made about who makes decisions for the military.
“We’re going to make sure that second guessing is brought to a minimum and good faith is brought to bear,” Hegseth said. “That good decisions are made not by politicians and bureaucrats in a faraway capital but by war fighters.”
Hegseth’s message to graduates
“This is just the beginning,” Hegseth told the graduates. Not the beginning of their career, for many of the graduates, but the beginning of a new chapter, he said.
Hegseth told the graduates he wasn’t there to give them advice about how to live their life, “Except you can’t go wrong when you fear God and fear no man.” He then added, “Except maybe your first sergeant,” drawing some laughs from the crowd.
Hegseth also told the graduates he and Trump have their backs.
“War requires tough decisions,” he said. “. . . We’re going to make sure that your hands aren’t tied behind your back once you bring violence on the enemy.
Possible title change for Hegseth?
Hegseth also mentioned a possible title change in his speech, saying his job may have “a slightly different title tomorrow, we’ll see.”
This comes after Trump said he would consider changing the name of the Defense Department to the War Department, according to The New York Times.
Graduating officers react to Hegseth and ceremony
Second Lt. Yujia Liu said it’s always been her dream to protect the nation and U.S. interests. She said it was exciting, motivating and memorable to have Hegseth speak at the ceremony.
“I’ll always be able to tell other people that at my commissioning ceremony, the sec-def was there,” Liu said.
When asked how she felt to get to this moment of graduation, she said, “It’s very rewarding to me because basic training is not easy, and I think OCS is very physically and mentally demanding too.”
“I feel like we earned this moment, and I’m very excited,” Liu said.
Second Lt. Darren Grene said Thursday was a big deal for his family.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “Been in the Army about 10 years, and this is something I’ve wanted to do, and I’m finally going to achieve my goal today and be a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.”
He said it’s a “huge deal” to have Hegseth at the graduation.
“Never thought I’d be able to achieve it, and I’m here,” he said. “So happy I’m finally graduating, and I get to go on and do bigger and better things in the Army.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 4:57 PM.