Pete Hegseth's mystery meeting in Quantico could cost millions, require unprecedented security

WASHINGTON — They’re coming to take a loyalty oath. To hear a speech about “warrior ethos.” To take a physical fitness test.

These are among the array of theories outsiders have floated in their attempts to explain a mysterious mass gathering Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hastily ordered last week, summoning hundreds of top military commanders on Tuesday to Quantico, Virginia.

The Pentagon isn’t dropping hints about why it ordered its highest-level officers from around the world to report to the base for an 8 a.m. meeting, which will likely cost taxpayers millions of dollars and create security challenges at home and abroad.

Preparations for the gathering have ratcheted up since President Donald Trump revealed that he would make an appearance at what he called a “very nice meeting.”

“It’s really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things,” Trump told NBC on Sunday. “It’s just a good message.”

Commanders had about a week’s notice they were expected at Quantico, according to news reports and a defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly. Normally, a meeting of this importance would be scheduled months in advance.

The Washington Post and New York Times reported Hegseth would deliver a speech about the “warrior ethos” and fitness standards.

Some, including retired military leaders, aired concerns about the gathering publicly.

Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, posted to X, referencing when Adolf Hitler summoned German generals in 1935 to swear a “personal loyalty oath to the Führer.” Hegseth wrote in reply, “Cool story, General.”

Could this have been an email?

One thing is for certain, several experts told USA TODAY: this could have been an email – or at the very least, a conference call.

“They could host a video teleconference and not have to cost taxpayers millions of dollars,” said Virginia Burger, senior defense policy analyst at the Project on Government Oversight.

Congress encourages military units to go through the annual travel-dedicated funds it appropriates to them by the end of the fiscal year – which falls squarely on the day of the meeting, Sept. 30. The pots of money commanders will draw from to book their Quantico trips are likely running low, according to Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute specializing in defense and the Pentagon budget.

“They can probably move things around and maybe delay a little bit of training or some purchases into the next fiscal year. But it’s going to be a real headache,” Harrison said.

Some units “may be looking through all the couch cushions to find the change to pay for that,” said Burger.

Shutdown could trap generals at Quantico

Adding further confusion is the increasingly likely government shutdown. If commanders’ aides haven’t booked return flights, they could get stuck. That would likely require Trump to “wave a magic wand” and authorize the funds to bring them home, Harrison said.

Some top generals, such as commanders of the 11 combatant commands, many of which are broadly dispersed geographically, are required to travel on official Defense Department VIP planes. But the majority who must fly will likely end up traveling by commercial flight, in economy seats, Burger and Harrison said.

Military leaders from far flung regions will stay in hotels around the area. Quantico has one dedicated on-base hotel, but it will likely fill up, as commanders with large entourages in tow take up multiple rooms, according to Burger, who worked as a warfighting instructor on the base for four years.

“That’s not going to be cheap,” she said.

“Assistance and security personnel have to get rooms near the commander. It might end up being five or 10 rooms for a senior commander,” said Harrison.

On top of that, the leaders will require stipends for daily meals and incidentals. All told, it could add up to “millions of dollars,” said Burger.

Critics have said that removing the nation’s top military officials from the playing field was an inherently risky move.

“Gaps in command worldwide are potentially dangerous,” Mark Cancian, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote of the meeting. “Although there will be acting commanders still in place, the large number of absentees might open a vulnerability.”

Trump’s presence at the event means the Secret Service must be on the ground and take the lead in securing the area. Locking it down to the necessary degree could also create disruptions to the FBI Academy at Quantico.

The Secret Service said the process would be no different from any other presidential appearance — apart from the out-of-the-ordinary nature of this gathering.

But others disagreed. “Security at Quantico will be a nightmare,” Cancian wrote.

Quantico’s National Museum of the Marine Corps will be closed for the morning of Sept. 30, the base’s libraries have shuttered and students at the base’s elementary school will get the day off.

Burger said there will likely be a traffic snarl for the ages on the interstate highway near Quantico, and around the small town, population 587, that surrounds the base.

“If I worked at Quantico, I would work from home that day,” she said.