Read our Privacy noticeHistorically, the U.S. military has been an engine for cultural and social change in America. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s vision for the armed forces he leads runs counter to that. For too long, “the military has been forced by foolish and reckless politicians to focus on the wrong things. There were restrictions on how many could serve and they were generally not allowed to command men or serve in combat. These are questions that have been long-standing back to the founding in some ways, but certainly in the 20th century,” said David Kieran, distinguished chair in Military History at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia.