U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville on Saturday to meet with Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and administer the enlistment oath to new recruits before the Volunteers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium.
Hegseth’s visit was part of his “Send Me Tour,” a military outreach and recruitment initiative launched in September.
According to the Department of War, Hegseth met with two groups of young Americans who had volunteered to serve in the military, including new recruits representing all branches of the armed forces and the Tennessee National Guard.
.@SECWAR FULL REMARKS to ROTC cadets and military recruits at the University of Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/KM6zrDSTxP
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) October 17, 2026
“For 251 years, Americans raised their right hand and said, ‘send me;’ send me to fight the redcoats, send me to fight the Nazis, send me to fight the communists, send me to fight the Islamists,” Hegseth said. “And now, you’ve said, ‘send me’ to defend [your] nation, to fight against whatever threatens our shores, our interests and our people.”
Hegseth also addressed cadets participating in the university’s ROTC program, known as the Rocky Top Battalion.
UT has more than 400 ROTC cadets. The university’s ROTC program is the largest outside senior military colleges and service academies.
During his remarks, Hegseth emphasized the military’s role in maintaining peace through strength, arguing that a strong, prepared military lets the United States pursue diplomatic and economic objectives while protecting Americans at home and abroad.
“You are in the ‘M’ business,” Hegseth told the cadets, referring to the military component of the federal government’s diplomatic, informational, military and economic (DIME) framework.
“When you are strong, and you are prepared, and you are lethal, and you are ready, everything else falls into place,” he added.
The next generation is raising their right hand and saying, “SEND ME.” 🇺🇸@SECWAR spoke with ROTC cadets at the University of Tennessee and administered the Oath of Enlistment to 95 incredible Americans.
The patriots of Tennessee have answered the call. pic.twitter.com/KSQviUgnft
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) October 17, 2026
Hegseth said the Department of War’s three core principles since he assumed leadership in January 2025 have been to “restore the warrior ethos, rebuild the military, reestablish deterrence.”
He also told the cadets and recruits that military leadership would prioritize training, discipline, readiness, and accountability while supporting service members and their families.
“I couldn’t be more proud to be here with you; to have a chance on behalf of the president of the United States, to look you in the eye, thank you and tell you we’re going to do everything we can every single day to have your back, to ensure that you have what you need, that you are trained, that you are prepared, that you are disciplined, [that] you are ready and [that] you have the tools you need to be lethal and effective,” Hegseth said.
Following his visit with military members, Hegseth and his family attended the UT football game where the Volunteers defeated the Crimson Tide 26-10.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Pete Hegseth” by Department of War.
