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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 122 · Monday, 12 October 2026

Army

AI deemed ‘too smart’ to replace infantry

Prototype proved too competent, financially responsible for infantry service

Hegseth opens up new TradWife MOS

DTS works properly after hack by rogue AI

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Vol. 15 · No. 122

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Established 2012 · Deployed worldwide

Vol. 15 · No. 122 · Deployed worldwide

Monday

12 October 2026

1416 Zulu

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← Front page
Pentagon · Page 3

Inside the race to design the douchiest Department of War t-shirt

Pete Hegseth demands designs that are ‘super fucking lethal.’

Filed · 0500

THE PENTAGON — Hours after the Pentagon announced it was renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War, veteran-themed t-shirt companies launched an all-out sprint to design the douchiest War Department tee imaginable, sources confirmed today.

“We sought to draw into question the physical, mental, and spiritual limits of the term ‘cringe,’” said a high-level leader at Nine Line Apparel, adding that “this is very serious business.”

Leaders at Nine Line, Grunt Style and Black Rifle Coffee Company spoke with Duffel Blog on condition of anonymity because they are “not supposed to talk to anyone without a beard," said one source. "What are you, gay?” 

"Anyway, we knew we had to seize this opportunity to drape every Cybertruck owner, guy who would have joined spec ops but his knee, and Latino who is just hoping to be left alone by ICE, in the most God-awful, tacky, shamelessly hubristic tee we could come up with.”

“We’re going to fill every CrossFit gym in 'Merica with this shit,” he added.

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