This Week in DOW: Arsenal of Freedom Tour Looks to Space, Protecting VMI, Scouting Under Scrutiny, Air Force Recruiting Up

View Online This Week in DOW: Arsenal of Freedom Tour Looks to Space, Protecting VMI, Scouting Under Scrutiny, Air Force Recruiting Up Feb. 6, 2026 |  By Matthew Olay This week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth continued the War Department's "Arsenal of Freedom" tour by paying a visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Feb. 2. While there, he visited with defense industry leaders, met with senior NASA leadership and delivered remarks to members of the Blue Origin space program workforce alongside company founder Jeff Bezos, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson explained today during the department's Weekly Sitrep video. "You are the men and women who pour your lives and careers into building these incredible launch systems that we need that give us that advantage; whether it's in Iran, whether it's in Venezuela whether it's halfway around the world — that's the advantage our warfighters need," Hegseth told the crowd.  He added that private-sector companies are crucial to ensuring the U.S. military dominates in space.  "We welcome those partners, and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in these critical efforts," Hegseth said.   Prior to arriving in Cape Canaveral, Hegseth administered the oath of enlistment to a group of military recruits in Titusville, Florida. On Feb. 3, the War Department announced that it is monitoring Virginia House Bill 1374 with "significant concern."  Introduced in January of this year, the bill seeks to restructure governance of the Virginia Military Institute with an aim toward bringing VMI under the management of Virginia State University's Board of Visitors.  "For generations, the unique military environment at VMI has made the institute a vital source of commissioned officers for the armed forces," Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said via a social media statement.  "The stability of this proven leadership pipeline is a matter of direct national security interest and any action that could disrupt the ecosystem requires our full attention," the statement continued. Parnell added that the War Department "reserves the right to take extraordinary measures" to protect VMI's integrity, and that the department's commitment to the students attending VMI remains steadfast.  Also this week, the Pentagon announced that it has spent the past several months reviewing its relationship with Scouting America — formerly the Boy Scouts of America — regarding the organization's embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as other "social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances," according to another social media post by Parnell.  On Jan. 21, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that called for terminating DEI in federal contracting, and all of DOW's affiliations must meet that standard, according to Parnell's statement.  "Our review of the DOW's financial assistance and partnership with Scouting America, including its quadrennial National Jamboree celebration, has been rigorous and ongoing. Scouting America remains far from perfect, but they have firmly committed to a return to core principles," the statement continued. Parnell added that the Pentagon and Scouting America are nearing a final agreement to continue their ongoing partnership.  "We will have more to announce soon," Wilson said. Lastly this week, the department learned that the Air Force fiscal year 2026 recruiting goals are off to an outstanding start, with roughly 20,000 recruits in the service's delayed entry program.  The Air Force is aiming to take on 32,750 recruits this fiscal year, which is a 9% increase over fiscal year 2025.   Wilson said the 20,000 recruits represent a 50% increase in the number of recruits who were in the program at this time last year, and that the Air Force currently has the biggest backlog in 10 years of young men and women who are waiting to ship to basic training.  "As the deputy commander of Air Force recruiting puts it, '2026 is looking good,'" Wilson added.

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