Hegseth Has an Important Announcement About the OSS

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made a rather important announcement on X: "The OSS is back." 

The OSS is back.

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) November 12, 2026

Built by some of WWII’s most visionary minds, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) carried American resolve into the hardest places and against the most determined enemies. It embodied the determination of Americans who believed they could achieve the impossible.  

Today, after 81 years, the OSS returns.  

The OSS post noted that the redesignation strengthens the Special Operations Forces representation within the Department of War and "reaffirms America’s commitment to the forces entrusted with the Nation’s most demanding missions."

Assistant Secretary of War for the Office of Strategic Services Derrick Anderson clarified further. 

In WWII, the Office of Strategic Services was forged on a defining American truth: when the Nation is tested, Americans rise, endure, and prevail. The men and women of the OSS went into the night with no promise of safety, no guarantee of return, and no expectation of praise. They went because their country called. They went because the cause was just. They went because Americans do not turn from the hard road when duty points the way. That legacy lives today in America’s Special Operations Forces. They carry the Nation’s hardest missions into the world’s most dangerous places, often without recognition and always with extraordinary responsibility. Today, I am pleased to announce that Secretary Hegseth has signed a pivotal memorandum enabling the ASW(SO/LIC) to fully exercise its statutory authority in line with Congress’s intent by elevating the office to Under Secretary of War equivalence and restoring its name to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). This action is a pledge that those sent into the hardest places, entrusted with the gravest responsibilities, and called upon when all else has failed will have a voice equal to the burden placed upon their shoulders. They will be given the resources, authority, and support required to prepare, to endure, and to prevail. In honoring our Special Operators, we honor the courage, sacrifice, and unbreakable American spirit that has carried this Nation through its hardest hours and will carry us forward still. Read the full release here: https://t.co/ZMYdfMCEHp

— ASW Anderson (@ASWAndersonOSS) November 12, 2026

In WWII, the Office of Strategic Services was forged on a defining American truth: when the Nation is tested, Americans rise, endure, and prevail.  

The men and women of the OSS went into the night with no promise of safety, no guarantee of return, and no expectation of praise. They went because their country called. They went because the cause was just. They went because Americans do not turn from the hard road when duty points the way.  

That legacy lives today in America’s Special Operations Forces. They carry the Nation’s hardest missions into the world’s most dangerous places, often without recognition and always with extraordinary responsibility.  

Today, I am pleased to announce that Secretary Hegseth has signed a pivotal memorandum enabling the ASW(SO/LIC) to fully exercise its statutory authority in line with Congress’s intent by elevating the office to Under Secretary of War equivalence and restoring its name to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

This action is a pledge that those sent into the hardest places, entrusted with the gravest responsibilities, and called upon when all else has failed will have a voice equal to the burden placed upon their shoulders. They will be given the resources, authority, and support required to prepare, to endure, and to prevail.  

In honoring our Special Operators, we honor the courage, sacrifice, and unbreakable American spirit that has carried this Nation through its hardest hours and will carry us forward still.

Hegseth has been bringing welcome change and improvement to the military, getting back to basics. This got a big reaction, with many asking what it meant for the CIA, if anything. The Washington Post's Zach Dorfman was among them. 

The CIA has long carried the banner of being the inheritor of the OSS; its founding generation and most of its leading lights were OSS vets. Dulles, Helms, Wisner, Colby, Casey, and many others were OSS alums. The Pentagon reclaiming the OSS mantle is a big, big, statement.

— Zach Dorfman (@zachsdorfman) November 13, 2026

Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.

Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.