Defense Secretary Pete Hegses denied China's claim that Goldendome transforms space into a “war zone.”
“All we care about is protecting our hometown,” Hegseth told Fox News Digital, starting from a trip to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
President Donald Trump has long said that defense of his hometown has been important to his “America First” policy and that the Golden Dome is a generational investment.
Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Zhe this week argued that the Golden Dome “has a strong offensive nature and violates the principles of peaceful use in the Space Treaty.”
China has accused us of “turning space into warzone” in Trump's Golden Dome missile defense project
“The project will turn space into war zones, create Space Force races and increase the risk of shaking international security and weapons management systems,” Mao said. “We urge the US to abandon the development and deployment of global anti-missile systems.”
Alongside Hegseth, Trump released some details about the project earlier in the week, explaining that he has ambitious plans to complete the missile defense shield for $125 billion over three years.
Hegses also responded to the pushback to his decision to start a monthly Christian prayer service at the Pentagon.
“The appeal to heaven is to God, a long-standing tradition in our military,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegses said of his monthly Pentagon prayer service. (Alexander Kvitza/Navy, Petit Officer 1 class)
“We have said it very publicly and very proudly, Heaven, appealing to God is a long-standing tradition in our army.
“I am willing to appeal to Jesus Christ for its protection, to speak its words and to speak about it in the Pentagon. If they want to criticize it, they are on the wrong side,” he said.
His remarks came after he addressed the 82nd Airborne Army Air Tro division on “National American Week.”
So he renamed the North Carolina base from Fort Bragg from Fort Liberty.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegses talks about the Golden Dome Missile Defense Shield in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, as President Donald Trump announced. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarck)
“It's Fort Bragg again,” Hegses said cheering from the crowd.
“There's nothing wrong with Fort Liberty. Give me freedom and give me death. I love it,” Hegses said. “But give me a Fort Bragg every week.”
He also addressed critics who said he had no strategic experience as Secretary of Defense and shot the media.
“Our friends from the fake news media are here,” Hegses said. “Some of them might say, “Critics don't choose an Army major to become Secretary of Defense.”
Trump and Hegses announce the Golden Dome and “Game Changer” to protect America's hometown
“One of the criticisms was that we needed someone who could think strategically. We could think of the big picture. We couldn't have a guy who thinks like the army, who says, 'Hell, yeah, there can be guys who think like the army.' ”
He told the crowd of Army's Air Tro tro forces, “I'm caught up in that formation, relaxing my knees, taking deep breaths, staring at the horizon, sweating, wondering what time, but I can't move my arms, not your boots.
Paratroopers will perform the pass with a review drill as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visits. (Alexander Kvitza/Navy, Petit Officer 1 class)
Hegseth announced an increase in the jump payments of the sky tro squad to more cheers from the crowd.
The dangerous duty incentive salary known as “Jump Pay” for Army troopers jumping out of the plane increases from $150 a month to $200.
Jumpmaster, a senior air tro squad that trains and leads jump operations, confirms wages increase from $150 to $300.
“This is in our sky tro squad, the jump masters who do difficult things in difficult places that most Americans can never imagine,” Heggs said.
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The Army has maintained a 56,756 paid Parastist position, according to General Gregory Anderson, head of the 18th Airborne Corps since 2006. That number will be reduced by 20,000, allowing for an increase in salary for those who maintain their jump status.
Limited aircraft capabilities and resources mean “decreased proficiency,” Anderson told reporters. “The goal should be really better quality than quantity.”
