Hegseth proposes new U.S. military base

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans for a new U.S. military base at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, saying governors would compete to host it and offer state land as part of their proposals. The project remains a plan: no location, construction schedule or funding authorization was identified in the reports. Hegseth described the proposed installation as a new base built from the ground up, rather than an expansion of an existing post. He said governors would pitch their states to him and his leadership team, and that the selection process could be conducted on camera. President Donald Trump might also take part, Hegseth said. Hegseth estimated the base would house 15,000 to 25,000 troops. He also said tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed overseas would return to the United States for the new installation, but did not identify which countries or deployments would be affected. The proposal does not establish that any troop movements have begun. The location and land commitment remain unsettled. Hegseth said governors would offer land, while one account of his remarks described pitches involving hundreds of thousands of acres.