WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, has hit an unusual roadblock on the road to confirmation. The former Army National Guard officer and Fox News contributor has been ordered to attend intermediate-level education (ILE) and other professional military education (PME) requirements to enhance his knowledge of military operations, sources confirmed today.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) announced the decision, explaining that the Senate’s heightened scrutiny is intended to ensure Hegseth “understands the breadth and nuance of today’s military environment.”

“Mr. Hegseth brings passion to the table,” Reed told reporters, “but he needs more than cable news sound bites to run the Pentagon. We wouldn’t ask a general to command a brigade without ILE, and we don’t want a Defense Secretary without the basics in joint operations, strategy, and — yes — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).”

According to defense officials, Hegseth has already started his journey at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he recently donned a subdued green Army PT uniform with ‘SECDEF’ stamped across the left side of his chest in block letters. Sources inside ILE classrooms reported his initial hesitation but noted his growing enthusiasm upon discovering that PME courses include “some cool PowerPoints.” His interest waned quickly when faced with dense strategy readings from Clausewitz and Jomini.

“There was a moment when he looked utterly bewildered, like he’d stumbled onto the set of Fox & Friends but forgot the cue cards,” said one Army major enrolled in ILE. “It was like watching a new JAG officer go through the Basic Officer Leader Course, but with higher stakes.”

Reports from inside the classroom suggest Hegseth is less thrilled about the mandatory group projects, which often focus on strategic planning scenarios where DEI considerations are front and center.