The Brigade of Midshipmen greeted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth April 1, 2025, when he arrived at the U.S. Naval Academy's King Hall in Annapolis, Maryland, for their noon meal. The secretary received raucous applause as he shook hands with midshipmen on his way to the hall's center podium, where he delivered brief remarks.
Athletic Grit and Leadership: Hegseth's Words to Team Captains
After lunch, Hegseth met with the academy's athletic team captains, sharing reflections that resonated deeply with those balancing the demands of leadership, academics and competition."I played college basketball for four years at Princeton [University] — which, honestly, means I sat on the bench for four years," he admitted. "But it molded me … that athletic side, that team experience. I know you're already on a big team here, heading into an even bigger one with the Navy or Marine Corps, but juggling the schedule you've got, plus the demands of this place on top of it? That's something else. You're out there leading, and it's building the kind of strength we need."
Hegseth personally spoke with three team captains.
Navy Midshipman 1st Class Joshua McGill carries the weight of his prior enlisted service into his role as brigade commander for the spring semester and captain of the rowing team. A sailor for several years before matriculating to the academy, he enlisted in 2019 and served as an intelligence specialist aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard and the USS Makin Island. His fleet time forged a resilience he now channels into leadership.
During his brief exchange with Hegseth, they discussed his rowing team's upcoming trip to Japan to race Princeton — a twist on the usual rivalry with the U.S. Military Academy — and how his enlisted experience shapes brigade leadership.
"We had a solid conversation," McGill said. "He asked about my fleet time and how it influences me now. … He's really dialed into how we're preparing."
For McGill, service is personal.
"Serving on the Bonhomme Richard — especially through its tough moments — taught me resilience and teamwork, which I carry into leading the brigade and the rowing team," he said.
When asked about the highlight of his conversation with Hegseth, McGill laughed and said, "I wouldn't put words in the secretary's mouth, but I heard him say 'Go Navy, Beat Army.'"
Navy Midshipman 1st Class Lysander Rhenstrom's path to the academy was also unconventional. The Herndon, Virginia, native spent a year at George Mason University during COVID-19 restrictions on in-person learning, playing basketball while attending online classes. When his coach was fired and his name hit the transfer portal, the Naval Academy beckoned.
"When they told me there's no online classes — you're here, getting a real education and playing ball — that sold me right away," Rhenstrom said.
Now captain of the basketball team and selected for service in the Marine Corps, Rhenstrom has found a calling. His father sealed the deal.
"He looked at me like I was nuts for even asking and said, 'You have to go. There's no question,'" he said. "'It's the best institution in the country.'"
Service wasn't in Rhenstrom's childhood playbook, but now it's everything.
"Leading the basketball team as captain, training for the Marine Corps — it's all felt like a calling," he said. "I can't wait to lead off the court."
Navy Midshipman 1st Class Nick Smith, from Columbia, South Carolina, grew up steeped in service. His father, a chief warrant officer in the Army, served for 38 years, while his mother aids recruits through the Future Soldiers program.
His grandfather fought in Vietnam, embedding a legacy Smith now carries as a midshipman and boxing team captain.
"I've always wanted to serve my country — it's been a driving force for me," he said. "At the same time, I wanted a top-tier education. The Naval Academy offered the perfect combination."
For Smith, boxing sharpens his discipline, and the academy hones his purpose.
"It's an honor to be here, following in my family's footsteps but carving my own path too," he said.
Candid Questions, Lasting Impact
The day's crescendo came in Alumni Hall, where Hegseth faced many questions from midshipmen across companies and year groups.
Navy Midshipman 1st Class Jack Grygiel, a native of Manhasset, New York, and history major in 10th Company, started with a query on long-term strategy against the Chinese Communist Party.
"I'm curious to hear, sir, about the conversations happening at your level regarding developing long-term strategic doctrine — not just near-term deterrence — so that we may … allow America to achieve strategic victory throughout the century," he asked.
Hegseth praised the question's depth.
"That's a great question and one you might even have a better answer to than me," he said. "I'd say that's the way President [Donald J.] Trump looks at things — a rebalancing in ways most advantageous to America, not just in the short term, but the long term."
Hegseth highlighted economics, energy and alliances.
"If we do our job now, we pass on a strategic environment and a Department of Defense to the next administration that's more capable and prepared for 21st-century threats," he said.
From 1st Company, Navy Midshipman 2nd Class Luc Gregoire, an aerospace engineering major and native of The Woodlands, Texas, pressed on cyberthreats.
"What is the military doing to mitigate threats against public and private American interests," Gregoire asked.
Hegseth's answer focused on the future.
"We're pushing real-time inclusion of cyber — offense and defense — into planning cycles to leverage it fully," he said. "In a world where cyber and space dominance will determine future battlefields, if we do it right with all the smart folks here, it should be our comparative advantage."
Navy Midshipman 3rd Class Sergio Santander, a native of Fort Mill, South Carolina, and an aerospace engineering major in 28th Company, invoked a shared motto.
"Mr. Secretary, I believe your first platoon and my USNA class share this motto: 'If you want peace, prepare for war.' … What mindset or habit should we as midshipmen start developing now to be the kind of warfighters who ensure peace?"
Hegseth offered tactical and moral anchors in his response.
"Become a subject matter expert in your craft. Know it better than anyone around you," he replied. "On integrity: Nothing replaces being grounded in faith. For me [that is] where truth comes from."
Navy Midshipman 4th Class Garrett Crowder from Johnson City, Tennessee, a quantitative economics major in 13th Company, probed about the warrior ethos.
"How does the lethal American warrior distinguish itself from our foreign adversaries, specifically like China," Crowder asked.
Hegseth pointed to small-unit leadership in his answer.
"Our noncommissioned officer corps … gives us an advantage over autocratic, top-down militaries every day," he said. "Push information, decision-making and capabilities downward."
He urged risk-taking, adding, "I predict you'll win the next four years" against Army — a parting shot met with cheers.