Pete Hegseth, a well-known American author, television commentator, former military officer, and now Secretary of Defense, served in the United States Army, not as a Navy SEAL.
Here are some key facts about his military service:
- Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the United States Army through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program.
- He served in the Army for five years, including deployments to Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.
- During his time in Iraq, Hegseth was an infantry platoon leader and later served as a civil-military operations officer.
- Hegseth left the Army in 2009 with the rank of captain.
While Hegseth did not serve as a Navy SEAL, his military experience has been an important part of his public persona and informs his commentary on military and foreign policy issues.
