The War Department is pushing back against reports of an internal split over its forthcoming National Defense Strategy, insisting the plan was built on full collaboration between top civilian and military leaders.
Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg issued a firm statement Wednesday, rejecting claims of division raised in a Washington Post report earlier this week.
“The Department’s National Defense Strategy has been seamlessly coordinated with all senior civilian and military leadership with total collaboration — any narrative to the contrary is false,” Feinberg told Fox News Digital.
According to a senior War Department official, the drafting process involved “extensive and intensive” collaboration. The team reportedly included a policy lead, a Joint Staff deputy, and service representatives, with frequent consultations across the department.
Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby and acting deputy under-secretary Austin Dahmer met with leaders from every service branch — a level of engagement the official described as “unprecedented.” Air Force Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also provided direct feedback to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Colby, who assured him his input would shape the final draft.
The Post report suggested unusually sharp pushback from some commanders over both priorities and tone, portraying the drafting as dominated by political appointees in the Pentagon’s policy office. War Department officials, however, dispute that account, emphasizing that the final strategy is aligned with the broader National Security Strategy and was coordinated at the highest levels.
The pushback came just one day after Secretary Hegseth addressed hundreds of commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico. In a 45-minute speech, Hegseth argued that the U.S. military must adopt tougher standards and sharpen its focus on warfighting.
As part of a sweeping overhaul, Hegseth has recalled one-star and above officers from around the globe for in-person briefings and removed several senior general officers. His new directives will reinstate stricter grooming and leadership requirements and enforce a single set of physical benchmarks for all combat roles.
