EXCLUSIVE – President-elect Trump’s nominee for secretary of defensePete Hegseth, was described as an “incredibly talented and battle-tested leader,” according to a copy of military evaluations obtained by Fox News Digital.
Hegseth is expected to face a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, during which lawmakers are expected to question the 44-year National Guard veteran and former Fox News host about his suitability to lead the Defense Department. One of the leading critics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, Hegseth has come under scrutiny in recent weeks due to his qualifications.
Fox News obtained copies of past performance evaluations describing Hegseth’s “exceptional” leadership skills during his years of military service, including deployments to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hegseth deployed with the New Jersey National Guard to Guantánamo Bay, where he was the leader of a platoon of 39 air assault infantry rifles capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 36 hours.
In an officer evaluation report covering the period from April 2005 to January 2006, Hegseth received “outstanding performance” and was described as “an incredibly talented and combat-proven leader.”
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Pete Hegseth in uniform. (Fox News)
“Having taken command of his platoon just days before deploying to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he effectively led his platoon through five months of combat,” the report states. “He planned and executed platoon operations ranging from air assault raids to forward operating base (FOB) defense.”
During his tour as platoon leader, his evaluators said Hegseth ensured “his platoon remained physically fit and mentally ready to meet the challenges of extended missions under demanding conditions.”
While serving at FOB Falcon, Iraq, Hegseth’s platoon “developed and fortified a platoon sector of the company defense and executed its portion of a continuous defense for three months while planning and executing additional offensive operations.”
Under his leadership, the report details, Hegseth’s platoon “cleared areas around FOB Falcon suspected of insurgent activity and denied their use to anti-Iraqi forces” and “also conducted an air assault, raid on high-value targets during which they captured an Al. Al-Qaeda cell leader in Iraq. » Hegseth and his troops moved north to Samarra, Iraq, where “he effectively transitioned his platoon into continuous offensive operations and conducted nine days of continuous outpost fighting, nine days of patrols and a deliberate closure and search as well as numerous urgent missions.” report read.
“His performance as a platoon leader has been solid. He is more than capable of operating independently, controlling not only his squads but also air support, indirect fire support and other external means of ‘combat support,’ its reviewers wrote.
Pete Hegseth speaking to reporters after meeting with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-IA, in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, Dec. 9, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, file)
Expecting a fight during Tuesday’s confirmation process, several Republican lawmakers held a news conference at the Capitol on Monday in support of Hegseth.
Criticisms against Hegseth included alleged mismanagement of veterans’ nonprofit funds and a lack of recent military experience. He was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a GOP conference in 2017. He was never criminally charged, but reportedly admitted to paying his accuser an undisclosed sum for the allegations.
“I’m 110 percent behind Pete Hegseth,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committeesaid. “He’ll be torn apart. He’ll be humiliated. He’ll be talked about. But we’re going to get him across the finish line.”
“The last four years have been an absolute disaster for our military. Again, we have a lot of good people, a lot of good men and women who believe in the United States of America. But we have to move forward and we have to have a leader. It all starts with one person,” Tuberville added. “We don’t need a general from the Pentagon. We’ve tried. We need a drill sergeant, someone who’s been in two wars, someone who understands camaraderie, work ethic , time, restraint and respect.”
“I strongly support Pete Hegseth for several reasons. We have the most educated and powerful military in the history of the planet. And we haven’t won a war in 80 years,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisconsin, said.
In Iraq, Hegseth also served as the deputy civil-military operations officer for a 660-man air assault infantry battalion. According to another report obtained by Fox News Digital, evaluators described him as “an absolutely exceptional officer”, who was “intelligent, mature and extremely gifted” and had become “a tremendous asset to his battalion and had contributed enormously to the performance of the BN during the last six months.”
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The officer’s evaluation report goes on to describe how Hegseth “led numerous patrols and civil affairs missions and provided exceptional support to the battalion, proving to be a strong combat leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom “. His evaluators said he “developed relationships and trust with many local leaders in Samarra, Iraq,” allowing him “to help collect intelligence that led to the capture/assassination of countless leaders of Al-Qaeda and insurgents.
Pete Hegseth gives a thumbs up alongside his wife Jennifer Hegseth, left, to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)
“His performance as the battalion’s deputy civil-military operations officer was superb,” the company’s general manager wrote of Hegseth. “He is a proven combat leader who is calm under fire and leads from the front.”
“Peter is physically and mentally resilient, and demonstrates a level of maturity, poise and confidence typically found in senior officers,” the report continued.
“Peter always completes each assignment to a high standard with minimal guidance or supervision. He has unlimited potential,” the reviewer added.
Hegseth also received rave reviews when he was later deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guardanother officer evaluation report from 2012 showed.
“Outstanding performance. CPT Pete Hegseth is the top CPT in this command (#1 of 12),” the report states. “Pete has clearly risen to the top of his peer group through his exceptional leadership abilities, initiative, and dedication to accomplishing the mission. Pete has worked extremely hard to learn as much as possible about counterinsurgency operations, easily becoming one of my top COIN instructors. He consistently received high marks in end-of-course reviews.
The report referred to Hegseth’s “personal courage and selfless service” during an attack in October 2011.
“Rock [led] a quick reaction force to assist in the recovery of the injured, ensuring the site was secure and all remains were recovered,” the report continued.
The evaluator said Hegseth “should be given command as soon as possible and closely monitored to maximize his potential for career progression.”
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Hegseth received, among other honors, two Bronze Star Medals and two Army Medals. He was praised for his work developing courses and revamping the Afghanistan Counterinsurgency Training Center’s guidebook, taking hours to do research, sometimes after hours, and training students from the NATO of several countries.
