JANUARY 5, 2026 – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will depart today for Newport News, Virginia, to visit shipbuilding yards and a recruiting station. The Secretary will also administer the oath of enlistment to new recruits.
Secretary Hegseth is continuing on the nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, a call to action to revitalize America’s manufacturing might and re-energize the nation’s workforce. The tour’s message will emphasize that our national security and the peace of the world move at the speed of our Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and rely on the hard work of our American workforce.
The tour will highlight the urgent need to rebuild our Defense Industrial Base (DIB) to ensure that we continue President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s peace through strength agenda.
American manufacturing is the bedrock of American strength. The men and women fueling this work are on the frontlines, alongside our warfighters, furthering the nation’s efforts every day they show up to work.
The tour will champion a new approach to defense acquisition, one that prioritizes and awards speed, innovation, and a “commercial-first” mindset.
This includes cutting bureaucratic red tape, empowering program leaders, and providing the stable, long-term contracts necessary for industry to invest and expand.
The goal is to create a defense ecosystem that is more agile and accountable, capable of delivering the tools our warfighters need, when they need them.
The “Arsenal of Freedom” tour is more than a series of speeches; it is a movement to restore our nation’s industrial prowess and secure our freedom for generations to come. It is a reminder that the strength of our nation is not just in our military, but in the ingenuity and spirit of the American people.