WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday chided past celebrations of the U.S. military’s diversity in a broad address to Pentagon staff in which he also promised a tough approach to NATO and accountability over the war in Afghanistan.

“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is our diversity is our strength,” Hegseth told the audience, adding under his watch “we will treat everyone with fairness.”

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)