We would enter the gym, the school band would play, ‘March down the field to the music. Quincy is out for victory.’ After watching a video of Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump’s unsuccessful rally, I had flashbacks of my high school days sitting in the gym listening to the coach and captains talk bluster about the upcoming game. We would listen and cheer, probably more for getting out of class than for the actual speeches. I did not see any of that fervor displayed by the Generals and Admirals in attendance; they were stoic. The fact that two clowns prepared high school-level rally speeches for these distinguished men and women (not all of them) speaks volumes. Sophomoric comes to mind.

We all understood the purpose of our high school pep rally: it was meant to invigorate us for the Thanksgiving Day football game against our cross-city rival. After the gathering of military elites at a Trump event, I couldn’t help but wonder: which rival is next on Washington’s schedule? High schools usually release their season’s schedule in advance. However, Washington is more spontaneous, making it difficult to predict their next battle. Still, they have shared a few hints, teasing us with bombings in Iran and against Venezuela. Then again, we cannot rule out major cities in the US.

Other questions come to mind: When did the Department of Defense become the Department of War? What happened to the concept of defense? If we consider this change in terminology, it might have caused Coach Bud Mosher, the defensive coordinator, to stand up and walk out of the Thanksgiving Day Game rally. Unfortunately, generals and admirals seem to have less integrity than Bud Mosher. It seems reasonable to suggest that if military elites are required to pass a physical training test, then politicians should also undergo polygraph tests. After all, military personnel should maintain a certain level of physical fitness, just as politicians should demonstrate a level of honesty.