Generally Speaking: Secretary of War Hegseth Seeks Leaner & Meaner Troops
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth laid down the law while addressing 800 military leaders prior to President Trump also speaking bluntly to them. Hegseth decried fat and woke generals while demanding fitness and grooming requirements (plus "no more DEI, dudes in dresses and climate-change worship").
Despite neither Air Force nor Army ever winning an NCAA Tournament game, maybe Hegseth should mandate that a certain percentage of Generals be former college basketball players such as himself (competed in 2001 NCAA tourney with Princeton against North Carolina). Following is an alphabetical list of mostly Air Force and Army basketball players over the years who went on to earn the rank of General (including five players finishing among USAF's top two scorers or rebounders in school's first seven seasons at major-college level from 1957-58 through 1963-64):
| Name, Graduation Year | Rank | Summary of College Playing Career |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Beckel, 1959 | Lieutenant General | led USAF in scoring in 1957-58 (21.7 ppg) and 1958-59 (20.5) |
| Richard Beltson, 1959 | Major General | played for Lehigh in 1956-57 |
| John "Bruce" Blount, 1950 | Lieutenant General | All-Yankee Conference selection with Rhode Island in 1948-49 (11.3 ppg) and 1949-50 (team-high 17.2 ppg) |
| Roger Brautigan, 1967 | Major General | averaged 1.6 ppg for Arizona in 1965-66 and 1966-67 |
| Robert Brown, 1981 | General | 13.8 ppg and 3.6 rpg for Army from 1977-78 through 1980-81, leading the Cadets in scoring average each of his last two seasons |
| Anthony Burshnick, 1960 | Lieutenant General | 3.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg for USAF in 1957-58 and 1958-59 |
| Mike Cokinos, 1943 | Brigadier General | Texas A&M captain in 1942-43 when he was known as "Iron Mike" because of his "frantic hustle" and defensive prowess |
| Dennis Crumley, 1961 | Brigadier General | 6.6 ppg and 2.5 rpg for East Tennessee State in 1959-60 and 1960-61 (runner-up in scoring with 8.9 ppg behind All-American Tom Chilton) |
| Kenneth Dawalt, 1936 | Brigadier General | Army captain in 1935-36 |
| Paul Dettmer, 1977 | Major General | 1 ppg and 1.1 rpg for USAF in 1974-75 |
| Howell M. Estes III, 1965 | General | 1.4 ppg and 1.3 rpg for USAF from 1962-63 through 1964-65 |
| Alfred "Kevin" Flowers Jr., 1995 | Brigadier General | 3.2 ppg and 3.2 rpg for Rider from 1991-92 through 1994-95 |
| Robert Foley, 1963 | Lieutenant General | 6.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg for Army from 1960-61 through 1962-63 |
| Bruce Harris, 1956 | Lieutenant General | 15.2 ppg and 9.8 rpg for Tennessee Tech in 1955-56 in school's first season at major-college level |
| Ellwood P. Hinman III, 1964 | Brigadier General | 9.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg for USAF in 1961-62 and 1962-63 (team runner-up in scoring) |
| Charles R. Holland, 1968 | Lieutenant General | 2 ppg and 2.2 rpg for USAF in 1966-67 and 1967-68 |
| Stephen Lanning, 1977 | Brigadier General | 2.4 ppg and 1.2 rpg for USAF in 1973-74 and 1974-75 |
| Charles Means, 1950 | Major General | played for Army in 1948-49 and 1949-50 |
| Leonard "Jake" Middleton Jr., 1991 | Brigadier General | 1.3 ppg and 1.4 rpg for Augusta in 1990-91 |
| Michael D. Pavich, 1964 | Major General | 8.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg for USAF from 1961-62 through 1963-64, finishing team runner-up in scoring and rebounding as a senior |
| Edmund Rafalko, 1945 | Major General | Army letterman in 1942-43 and 1944-45 |
| Louis Robertshaw, 1936 | Lieutenant General* | Navy letterman in 1935-36 |
| Peter Sajevic, 1946 | Brigadier General | Colorado A&M (now Colorado State) captain in the mid-1940s after serving as platoon leader in Marine Corps in battle of Iwo Jima. |
| Charles Schilling, 1941 | Brigadier General | Army letterman in 1940-41 |
| "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, 1904 | General | credited with introducing basketball to Army academy |
| Dean Strother, 1931 | General | Army co-captain in 1930-31 |
| Tom Tait, 1955 | Major General | 3.5 ppg and 2.6 rpg for VMI from 1952-53 through 1954-55 |
| James P. Ulm, 1961 | Brigadier General | 12.3 ppg for USAF from 1958-59 through 1960-61, finishing among the Falcons' top two scorers each season (top point producer as junior for school's first-ever NCAA tourney team) |
| Henry "Butch" Viccellio, 1962 | General | 9.4 ppg for USAF from 1959-60 through 1961-62, leading the Falcons in rebounding each of his last two seasons; placed among their top six scorers with NCAA tourney teams in 1960 and 1962 |
| Cedric Wins, 1985 | Major General | 13.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 2.2 apg for VMI from 1981-82 through 1984-85, leading the Keydets in scoring as a sophomore |
| Walter Wojdakowski, 1972 | Major General | 7.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Army from 1969-70 through 1971-72 |
*Inspector General of the Marine Corps from 1967 to 1969.
Key: Brigadier General (1 star); Major General (2 stars); Lieutenant General (3 stars); General (4 stars).