Coast Guard recruits and other military recruits prepare to take the oath of enlistment from Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), in El Segundo, California, Jan. 8, 2026. Hegseth’s visit marks one of only three times in MEPS history that a secretary of war has visited a MEPs location. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard B. Uranga)