Hegseth is copying a German meme from earlier this year where people did a similar thing with a childrens comic book character called "Conni":
There were tons of these shitposts, to the point where the publisher tried to sue over it:
That was around the same time a German pig gunned down a catfish at a festival.
To protect from imaginary threats, with a force that could never stand a chance against said imaginary threats.