Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touted his efforts to rid the military of "wokeness" while revealing new directives during a gathering of top U.S. military leaders at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia, Tuesday (September 30) morning.

Hegseth announced a series of steps he's taking in order to restore what he referred to as the "warrior ethos," which included new standards for grooming and physical fitness.

“We’re not talking hot yoga and stretching,” he said via NBC News.

“No more setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do and if that makes me toxic, so be it,” Hegseth added.

“No more frivolous complaints, no more anonymous complaints, no more repeat complaints, no more smearing reputations, no more endless waiting, no more legal limbo, no more sidetracking careers, no more walking on eggshells,” he continued.

Hegseth also confirmed ways that President Donald Trump's administration would end DEI-related policies within the military.

"For too long, we’ve promoted too many uniform leaders for the wrong reasons — based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts," he said via NBC News.

Hegseth claimed that the Defense Department became "the woke department" and credited the Trump administration for having "done a great deal from day one to remove the social justice, politically correct and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department, to rip out the politics."

"No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship, no more division, distraction or gender delusions," he added. "As I’ve said before and will say again, we are done with that s---."

Hegseth also said the Pentagon would review its definitions of "toxic leadership," "bullying" and "hazing" moving forward.

"We’re undertaking a full review of the department’s definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing," he said via NBC News.

Hegseth claimed that people cannot "do nasty bullying and hazing" but said the terms "been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs."

Bill Handel