Illinois Law professor Lesley M. Wexler addresses Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s proposed rollback of military regulations on hazing, bullying, and toxic leadership, arguing that these changes are part of a broader agenda to recenter military culture around a rigid and potentially abusive interpretation of the “warrior ethos.” Professor Wexler warns that weakening existing protections risks encouraging cruelty, diminishing accountability, and harming both service members and civilians, and urges that any review be evidence-based, carefully defined, and mindful of the moral and operational consequences of reintroducing hazing practices.