JANUARY 9, 2026 – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth administered the oath of enlistment to 40 brand new military recruits during a brief ceremony at the Los Angeles Military Entrance Processing Station.
The visit to the LA MEPS was Hegseth’s first stop after landing in California’s largest city, where he is continuing his “Arsenal of Freedom Tour” — a monthlong call to action to revitalize America’s manufacturing might and reenergize the nation’s workforce within the defense industrial base — which began Jan. 5, with a visit to a Newport News, Virginia, shipyard.
“I’m honored to be here with you, and I’m grateful to the families, because they clearly raised great Americans,” Hegseth said to the new enlistees, 25 of whom are joining the joint service’s active component, and five who enlisted in the California National Guard…