An Army combat veteran and advocate for America’s veterans, Hegseth was most recently a co-host of FOX & Friends Weekend on the FOX News Channel.
Hegseth was commissioned an infantry officer into the U.S. Army National Guard upon graduation from the ROTC program at Princeton University in 2003. His deployments include Guantanamo Bay, where he served as an infantry platoon leader; Iraq, where he served as an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad and Samarra with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division; and Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard as part of a NATO Training Mission. Hegseth also served in multiple staff positions in state National Guard units.
Hegseth’s military honors include the Army Commendation Medal and Expert Infantryman’s Badge (EIB) for his time in Cuba; the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB), and a second Army Commendation Medal for his time in Iraq; and a second Bronze Star Medal and a Joint Commendation Medal for his time in Afghanistan.
Hegseth has authored five books, including “The War on Warriors” (June 2024), which spent over 10 weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list.