Military

Pete Hegseth Refuses to Meet With Bearded Soldiers in South Korea

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks the Homeland Security Task Force roundtable at the White House on October 23, 2025. (White House)

New York Daily News | By Brian Niemietz

Published October 28, 2025 at 3:13pm ET

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth won’t meet with any “beardos”^[1] serving in South Korea.

Service members stationed in the Pacific recently received notice that enlistees with shaving waivers will not be allowed to attend Hegseth’s upcoming Camp Humphreys rally ^[2], according to military site Task & Purpose.

The former Fox News host arrived in Hawaii ^[3] on Monday for a trip that will later take him to Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. Korean station KBS World Radio said Hegseth is scheduled to spend two days in South Korea ^[4] beginning next Monday.

He recently summoned the nation’s top military officials to Virginia, where they heard their boss deliver a speech ^[5] deriding soldiers with beards.

“No more beardos,” Hegseth said during his late September address. “The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done.”

He told military brass that ignoring seemingly small matters like lax shaving habits can lead to bigger problems.

Hegseth also issued a Sept. 30 memo ^[6] stating the military would only issue facial hair waivers for troops with certain medical issues such as pseudofolliculitis barbae ^[7], a painful skin condition that’s made worse by shaving.

The 45-year-old Pentagon boss served in the Army National Guard from 2003 to 2021 where he earned the rank of major. He joined Fox News in 2014 and participated in a 2018 television skit that featured a barber shaving his “vacation beard.”^[8]

A letter from one viewer read during that segment contended that a man without a beard is like a lion without a mane.

“That’s how I feel!” Hegseth agreed.

The Minnesota native said that he wanted to keep his facial hair, but his TV bosses insisted it had to go.

Navy Confirms Evacuations As Hurricane Melissa Roared Toward The Caribbean

A GOES-19 NOAA satellite image taken October 28, 2025, shows Hurricane Melissaâs eye and spiral bands covering the Caribbean. (NOAA/NESDIS/STAR)

As Hurricane Melissa raced toward the Caribbean Sea and Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 storm, the U.S. Navy confirmed the evacuation of hundreds of families from Naval Station Guantánamo Bay.

The National Hurricane Center, under the guise of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has warned that the powerful storm touching ground in Jamaica is "extremely dangerous and life threatening." Individuals in the path of the hurricane are instructed to take cover from "catastrophic winds" that are expected to cause flooding and landslides along the island, resulting in widespread infrastructural damage, human displacement, and power outages.

Approximately 864 non-mission essential personnel were flown by the Navy to the mainland as Melissa strengthened into one of the strongest storms of the year. They left Guantánamo Bay on five flights, arriving at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Oct. 25 and 26.

Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) Emergency Family Assistance Center (EFAC) personnel process incoming service members, family members and contractors during the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay non-mission essential personnel movement Oct. 25. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Apprentice Jon Jezreel Japay Andres)

The group included service members’ families, civilian employees, contractors and pets. Guantánamo Bay sits on the western edge of Cuba, close to the projected path of Melissa.

Brad Martin, a retired Navy captain and senior policy researcher at the nonprofit RAND Corporation, told Military.com that Melissa will stress logistics more than combat readiness. Ships operating in the Caribbean may face delayed resupply if ports close or sea routes become unsafe.

Navy Amphibious Ready Groups and Marine Expeditionary Units can shift quickly from patrol to rescue, Martin said. Helicopters can move survivors. Sailors and Marines can deliver food, water and medical aid.

These ships do not carry enough supplies for a large relief effort, he added, so larger shipments would come from the mainland.

NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chandra Newman said in a statement that the installation moved quickly once the storm threat became clear.

A U.S. soldier assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Guard, aligns cots in the hardened shelter in preparation for hurricane Melissa on at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Oct. 24, 2025 (U.S. Air Force photo By Senior Airman Taylor Hunter)

“The safety and well-being of our Navy family is always a primary concern,” Newman said. “Right now that means taking care of our Navy family from Guantánamo Bay.”

Pensacola opened an emergency family assistance center and prepared food, lodging and transportation within hours of getting the order. Navy Lodge and Navy Inn rooms were filled. American Red Cross volunteers arrived to help families settle in.

The runway and deep-water port at NAS Pensacola give the Navy flexibility during hurricane season. The base has taken in evacuees before and is often used as a safe harbor for ships during major storms.

Navy Eyes the Track

The Navy said future decisions will track the latest forecasts and storm models. A Navy official said commands are watching Melissa’s movement in real time and will adjust operations as conditions change.

A National Hurricane Center forecast map shows Hurricane Melissa tracking toward Jamaica and Cuba with sustained winds of 165 miles per hour. (Graphic: National Weather Service)

The National Hurricane Center said Melissa remains a dangerous Category 5 storm with sustained winds estimated at 175 MPH.

Warm water, low wind shear, and a well-formed core continue to fuel the storm. Rapid changes in strength remain possible as Melissa moves west.

Forces Can Pivot Fast

The American Red Cross says it does not normally ship blood products to Jamaica or nearby islands, but it can do so during emergencies. Blood shipments move through the State Department, the United Nations, or local Red Cross agencies. No request has been made. Inventories are strong. Teams are standing by.

The State Department has not responded to questions from Military.com on whether the U.S. plans to send humanitarian assistance to Jamaica or Cuba if the storm makes landfall. There has been no comment on whether U.S. embassies in the region are preparing to shelter Americans or move personnel.

U.S. Northern Command has not responded to questions about possible airlift or disaster-relief readiness. The Coast Guard also has not said whether cutters or aircraft have shifted patrol routes. FEMA has not confirmed whether disaster teams or supplies are being staged in the southeastern United States in case the storm turns north after landfall.

Families from Guantánamo Bay are now safe in Pensacola. Navy officials said they are prepared to move more people, more aircraft, and/or more ships if the track shifts.

© Copyright 2025 Military.com. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Military.com, please submit your request here ^[1].

Pentagon Accepts $130 Million Donation to Pay Troops

The Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, in Arlington, Virginia, on May 1, 2007, with the Washington Monument visible across the Potomac River. (DoD photo)

Military.com | By Darius Radzius ^[1]

Published October 24, 2025 at 5:04pm ET

The Pentagon says it’s taking help from an anonymous donor to keep troops paid as the government shutdown drags on.

The surprise move highlights how deep the shutdown’s impact has reached — forcing the Defense Department to lean on private money to help cover military pay. It’s an unprecedented step raising questions about transparency, legality, and what happens when those funds run out.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed to Military.com the Department of Defense accepted a $130 million donation on October 23 under its general gift authority. He says the money will go toward offsetting the cost of service members’ salaries and benefits.

"We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats opted to withhold pay from troops," Parnell said in a statement.

The Pentagon isn’t saying who gave the money or how it will be used. The amount is small compared with what the department normally spends on pay — billions each pay period for the nation’s active-duty force.

Congress still hasn’t passed a funding bill to guarantee troop pay during the shutdown. The administration has already shifted billions from research and development accounts just to keep checks going out.

For now, the Pentagon says it’s grateful — but the clock is ticking. The next round of military pay is due soon, and it’s unclear what happens when that $130 million runs out.

This is a developing story. Military.com will update this report as more information becomes available.

Trump Backs Off Sending National Guard To San Francisco

California National Guard are positioned at the Federal Building, June 10, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)

Military.com | By Darius Radzius ^[1]

Published October 24, 2025 at 3:26pm ET

President Trump has changed course. After threatening to send the National Guard into San Francisco, he’s backing off.

The move caps days of tension after the president’s threat rattled local officials and immigrant advocates who feared mass arrests and military-style enforcement in one of the nation’s most immigrant-rich cities. The White House now says the city will get a chance to handle its problems on its own, but many remain skeptical about whether the administration’s pause will last.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the federal government had been preparing to “surge” San Francisco on Saturday but decided to hold off after a call from Mayor Daniel Lurie—who Trump said was “making substantial progress.”

The president said he told the mayor it would be “faster, stronger and safer” if federal forces intervened but agreed to “give him a chance.” He ended the post by writing, “Therefore, we will not surge San Francisco on Saturday. Stay tuned.”

President Trump says he’s backing off plans to “surge” San Francisco with federal forces after a call with Mayor Daniel Lurie. He says the city deserves a chance to handle its problems on its own.

‘We’ll Be Watching’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision during Thursday’s press briefing.

She said Trump spoke directly with the mayor, who promised to address the city’s problems without federal intervention.

“The president heard him out,” she said. “He said, ‘Okay, I’ll give you a chance. We’ll be watching. And if you need us, we are here.’”

Military.com reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not comment further beyond referring to the president’s Truth Social post.

Reporters raise their hands to as a question as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Advocates Still on Alert

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco told Military.com the announcement eased some fears but not all.

“We welcome that decision not to send them,” said Jehan Laner, a senior staff attorney with the group. “But a lot of people remain vigilant in case there are mass arrests elsewhere in the Bay.”

For days, talk of troops had the city on edge. Families kept children home. Workers skipped jobs. Businesses lost customers.

“People didn’t want to be harassed on their way to work or asked to show papers,” Laner said. “Even rumors of immigration activity were enough to cause panic.”

Community networks activated rapid response hotlines to verify reports of immigration raids. Legal volunteers stood by to help anyone detained.

Advocates continue urging residents to know their rights, the right to stay silent, to call an attorney, and to refuse entry without a signed judicial warrant.

“Administrative warrants don’t allow agents to enter your home,” Laner said. “We’re reminding people to stay calm, stay informed, and stay organized.”

Even with the president’s pause, Laner says anxiety has not fully faded.

“We’ve seen before when the Guard wasn’t supposed to come, and then they came,” she said. “People still feel like they’re under a target.”

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Pete Hegseth Refuses to Meet With Bearded Soldiers in South Korea

Navy Confirms Evacuations As Hurricane Melissa Roared Toward The Caribbean

Navy Eyes the Track

Forces Can Pivot Fast

Pentagon Accepts $130 Million Donation to Pay Troops

Trump Backs Off Sending National Guard To San Francisco

‘We’ll Be Watching’

Advocates Still on Alert

More Articles …

Navy Eyes the Track

Forces Can Pivot Fast

‘We’ll Be Watching’

Advocates Still on Alert

More Articles …

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