Hegseth’s mystery rendezvous in Quantico might cost millions, need exceptional security – They’re come to take a loyalty oath. To hear a speech about “warrior ethos.” To take a physical fitness test. These are among the number of possibilities outsiders have offered in their attempts to explain a mysterious mass gathering Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quickly convened last week, summoning hundreds of top military leaders to Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 30.
The Pentagon isn’t dropping hints about why it asked its highest-level officials from across the world to report to the base for an 8 a.m. conference, which would likely cost taxpayers millions of dollars and create security issues at home and abroad.
These are among the number of possibilities outsiders have offered in their attempts to explain a mysterious mass gathering Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quickly convened last week, summoning hundreds of top military leaders to Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 30.
The Pentagon isn’t dropping hints about why it asked its highest-level officials from across the world to report to the base for an 8 a.m. conference, which would likely cost taxpayers millions of dollars and create security issues at home and abroad.
Preparations for the event have ratcheted up since President Donald Trump confirmed that he will make an appearance at what he dubbed 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 Sept. 28. “It’s just a good message.”
Commanders received roughly a week’s notice they were anticipated at Quantico, according to news sources and a defense officer who was not authorized to talk publicly. Normally, a conference of this magnitude would be organized months in advance. The Washington Post and New York Times said Hegseth would deliver a speech about the “warrior ethos” and fitness requirements. Some, including former military leaders, raised reservations about the gathering publicly. Hegseth’s mystery rendezvous in Quantico might cost millions, need exceptional security
Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, posted to X, recalling when Adolf Hitler gathered German generals in 1935 to swear a “personal allegiance oath to the Führer.” Hegseth wrote in reply, “Cool story, General.”
Could this have been an email?
One thing is for certain, numerous 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 pushes military units to go through the annual travel-dedicated monies it appropriates to them by the end of the fiscal year — which falls neatly on the day of the summit, Sept. 30. The buckets of money commanders will draw from to arrange their Quantico excursions are likely running short, according to Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute specializing in defense and the Pentagon budget.
“They can certainly move things about and maybe defer a little bit of training or some purchases into the next fiscal year. But it’s going to be a huge headache,” Harrison remarked. Some units “may be looking through all the couch cushions to find the change to pay for that,” said Burger. Hegseth’s mystery rendezvous in Quantico might cost millions, need exceptional security
Adding extra complexity is the increasingly imminent 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 release the cash to send them home, Harrison added.
Some top generals, such as chiefs of the 11 combatant commands, many of which are broadly spread geographically, are required to travel aboard official Defense Department VIP flights. But the majority who must fly will likely end up traveling by commercial airplane, in economy seats, Burger and Harrison added.
Military leaders from far flung places will stay in motels in the area. Quantico has one dedicated on-site hotel, but it will certainly fill up, as commanders with huge entourages in tow take up many rooms, according to Burger, who worked as a warfighting instructor on the facility for four years.
“That’s not going to be cheap,” she remarked. “Assistance and security personnel have to get accommodations near the commander. It might wind up being five or 10 rooms for a senior commander,” said Harrison. On top of that, the leaders will want stipends for daily meals and incidentals. All altogether, that may amount up to “millions of dollars,” said Burger. Critics have suggested that removing the nation’s top military commanders from the playing field was an inherently hazardous action. Hegseth’s mystery rendezvous in Quantico might cost millions, need exceptional security
“Gaps in command worldwide are potentially dangerous,” Mark Cancian, a defense specialist 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 participation 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 appropriate degree might potentially create disturbances to the FBI Academy at Quantico. The Secret Service said the approach would be no different than any previous presidential appearance — save from the out-of-the-ordinary character 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 children at the base’s elementary school will get the day off. Burger said there will certainly be a traffic bottleneck for the ages on the interstate highway near Quantico, and around the small hamlet, population 587, that surrounds the base. “If I worked at Quantico, I would work from home that day,” she added. Hegseth’s mystery rendezvous in Quantico might cost millions, need exceptional security
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