War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the War Department — “at every level” — would hold a one-day stand-down from training operations so that every service member would have the opportunity to vote.
“I am directing all commanders and supervisors at all levels across this department to conduct a one-day stand-down during the month of October — beginning this year and continuing every election year,” Hegseth said, noting that this year’s stand-down would occur no later than October 15.
Hegseth explained that he believed — as most Americans do — that voting is important, and said that for too long, service members had encountered obstacles when they attempted to exercise that all-important right. Many, he noted, live far away from their home states and have to go through the process of locating and completing absentee ballots. Others might find that training schedules made it difficult for them to find a time to cast a vote, either in person or by mail.
The War Department’s solution is the one-day stand-down — wherein active-duty service members, unit commanders, and supervisors will put their routine duties on pause for a day in order to ensure that all service members have the chance to vote. Typically, stand-downs are used to conduct emergency training, make time for important and timely discussions, or address specific institutional issues.
Hegseth referenced one recent stand-down — directed by then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shortly after former President Joe Biden was inaugurated — that was used to address the threat of “patriot extremism” after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
“In February of 2021, under the Biden administration, then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin mandated an urgent training stand-down,” Hegseth recalled. “He paused training operations and exercises to address a vaguely defined but ‘urgent’ extremism problem. I remember it, ‘patriot extremism.’ Well, as I’ve stated before, this is a new and apolitical War Department.”
He went on to say that he had no intention of telling service members who they should vote for, saying that his only interest was in making sure that they had every opportunity to choose their own elected leadership.
“So take that day to fill out your absentee ballot, help your family members do the same, or go to the polling place yourself and exercise your right to vote,” Hegseth concluded. “It’s about time we prioritize that in this department, and we’re fixing it right here, right now.”
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