Protesters chant ‘DEI’ in apparent reference to ban enacted by Hegseth on some books in defense department schools

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday flatly ruled out the possibility of dispatching US troops to Ukraine to fend off Russian invaders — as the war approaches its third year. Hegseth, 44, previewed plans Tuesday to “have straight talk with our friends” in Europe and was hopeful about achieving a “rapid peace deal” in Ukraine.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participated in an early morning PT session hosted by troops from the 1st Battalion 10th Special Forces Group at Panzer Kaserne, Stuttgart, Germany.

Recent speculations are on the rise that if the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was actually booed and eventually heckled by the military families of Germany or not.

Middle schoolers at a U.S. military school in Germany chanted 'DEI' at a protest against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday.

The civil disobedience by dozens of middle-schoolers — and some adults — was aimed at the Trump administration’s rollback of DEI initiatives.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has trained with U.S. Marines in Germany ahead of his first NATO meeting. Hegseth is currently on a week-long trip that includes visits to Germany, Belgium and Poland, after he narrowly made it through the Senate 's confirmation process in which Vice President JD Vance had to cast a tie-breaking vote.

Middle schoolers at a U.S. military school in Germany on Tuesday protested against policies eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the Department of Defense by walking out

The defense secretary said he is more aligned with the rank-and-file troops than the leaders he’s now tasked to work with after working out with troops.

In all, it was a bruising, 72-hour crash course in the geopolitical realities of a job that critics complain Mr. Hegseth, a 44-year-old former National Guard infantryman and Fox News host, is unqualified to hold. Mr. Hegseth’s trip to Europe, his first overseas visit since being sworn in on Jan. 25, started off on an unusual note.

Pete Hegseth, the controversial defence secretary, is on a week-long trip to Germany, Brussels and Poland. As well as exercising with US troops, he will also attend his first NATO meeting later this week.

Military families protesting the defense department's anti-DEI push heckled Defense Secretary Hegseth at United States European Command headquarters in Germany.