Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began his first official day at the Pentagon Monday. A flurry of orders are expected that will possibly further clarify instructions on diversity, equity and inclusion training, and also possibly direct a new missile defense system for the continental United States. (AP Video / Jan. 27, 2025)
By Tara Copp And Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to revise the Pentagon’s policy on transgender troops, likely setting in motion a future ban on their military service.
He also ordered troops to be reinstated who had left voluntarily or been booted for refusing COVID-19 vaccines, outlined new rollbacks in diversity programs and provided for the deployment of a space-based missile defense shield for the U.S. — all on Hegseth ‘s first day.