What rank did Pete Hegseth achieve and when was he promoted during his Army Reserve service?

1. Rank achieved: major — repeated across profiles

Contemporary biographical summaries and news reporting identify Hegseth as having risen to the rank of major in the Army National Guard before moving into reserve status; Britannica, Ballotpedia, Wikipedia and other profiles state he “rose to the rank of major” or “was promoted to major” ^{[5] [2] [1]}.

2. When he was promoted: sources cluster on 2014–2015 but vary

Several sources give a consistent narrative that Hegseth completed an Afghanistan tour and then was promoted to major and moved into the Individual Ready Reserve. Wikipedia says “after completing his tour in 2014, he was promoted to major and assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve” ^[1]. Ballotpedia reports “In 2015, Hegseth became a major and began serving in the Individual Ready Reserve” ^[2]. A veterans’ blog and other summaries likewise say the promotion occurred “after leaving active duty in 2014” or “by 2015/2016” ^{[3] [4]}. The overlap indicates the promotion happened in the 2014–2015 window ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

3. How the promotion fits his service timeline

Hegseth’s military record in the cited reporting shows multiple service phases: commissioned via Princeton ROTC in 2003, deployments to Guantánamo Bay, Iraq and later Afghanistan, and spells in the Minnesota and D.C. Army National Guard; the promotion to major and assignment to the Individual Ready Reserve followed those operational tours, per Wikipedia and Ballotpedia ^{[1] [2]}. TogetherWeServed’s profile frames the promotion as the transition point between active or drilling service and a reserve status ^[3].

4. Areas of agreement and small discrepancies among sources

All cited sources agree Hegseth attained the rank of major and later served in the Individual Ready Reserve ^{[1] [2] [3]}. They differ slightly on the exact year: Wikipedia pins the promotion “after completing his tour in 2014” ^[1]; Ballotpedia states “In 2015, Hegseth became a major” ^[2]; other outlets summarize the timing as “by 2015/2016” ^[4]. That variance likely reflects different editorial summaries of the same personnel records or reliance on Hegseth’s own public statements versus third‑party timelines ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

5. What available sources do not mention

Available sources do not mention an exact promotion date (day/month) or cite the specific promotion order number; they provide only the year-range language—“after 2014,” “in 2015,” or “by 2015/2016” ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Official personnel documents that would give a precise date are not included in the provided reporting ^{[1] [2]}.

6. Why the timing matters politically and journalistically

The timing of a reserve promotion matters because critics and supporters have used Hegseth’s military credentials in debates over his qualifications for civilian office; biographical entries that place his move to the Individual Ready Reserve in 2014–2015 show the promotion occurred before later National Guard re‑entries in 2019 and before his final separation dates reported elsewhere ^{[2] [3]}. Profiles in major outlets and encyclopedias rely on that sequence—commissioned 2003, deployments, promotion to major around 2014–2015, IRR status thereafter ^{[1] [5] [2]}.

7. Bottom line and how to confirm precisely

In sum: every reliable source in the provided set identifies major as Hegseth’s highest Army rank and places his promotion in the immediate aftermath of his 2014 tour—commonly reported as 2014–2015—after which he served in the Individual Ready Reserve ^{[1] [2] [3]}. To obtain the precise promotion order date or official personnel record, consult Department of Defense personnel files or the National Guard Bureau records; those documents are not included in the sources supplied here and therefore are “not found in current reporting” ^{[1] [2]}.