What ranks and roles did pete hegseth hold while deployed to combat zones?

1. Guantánamo Bay: security/detainee‑guard duties and early enlisted leadership

The first deployed assignment widely reported for Hegseth was a 2004–2005 tour at Joint Task Force Guantánamo, where he served with his New Jersey Army National Guard unit on security and detainee‑guard duties described in multiple accounts as a security platoon assignment or infantry platoon leader role at JTF‑GTMO ^{[1] [3] [5]}. Reporting frames this posting as early in his career after commissioning as an infantry officer, emphasizing routine guard and detention‑security responsibilities rather than large‑unit combat command ^{[6] [7]}.

2. Iraq (2005–2006): infantry platoon leader in Baghdad and civil‑military operations in Samarra

Hegseth’s Iraq service is reported with more operational detail: he deployed with elements of the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in 2005–2006, serving as an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad in 2005 and later as a civil‑military operations officer in Samarra in 2006 ^{[1] [3] [5]}. Those accounts attribute to him front‑line infantry leadership and staff‑type civil‑military duties during stabilization operations, and they are the basis for his Combat Infantryman Badge and at least one Bronze Star cited in biographical summaries ^{[1] [5]}.

3. Afghanistan : senior counterinsurgency instructor and training role in Kabul

Hegseth returned to active duty in 2012 and was deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard, where he is reported to have been the senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul, a role framed as advisory and instructional rather than tactical line command ^{[1] [3] [5]}. Reports consistently describe this posting as a training‑center assignment intended to prepare Afghan and coalition personnel in counterinsurgency methods, reflecting a shift from earlier direct infantry leadership to an instructional role ^[1].

4. Rank progression while deployed and afterward: second lieutenant through major

Multiple sources agree Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the National Guard and progressed through company‑grade ranks: he served as a second/first lieutenant and captain during his active deployments, returned to active duty in 2012 as a captain, and by roughly 2015 had been promoted to major before assignment to the Individual Ready Reserve ^{[6] [3] [4] [1]}. Britannica and other profiles summarize his overall service as rising to the rank of major and note three deployments as part of that career arc ^{[2] [4]}.

5. Decorations, contested details, and limits of available public records

Biographical summaries credit Hegseth with two Bronze Stars, two Army Commendation Medals, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge tied to his Iraq and Afghanistan service, but some outlets urge caution and note variability in reporting about specifics of awards and duties ^{[1] [5] [8]}. Public reporting compiled from profiles, organizational bios, and secondary sources provides a consistent outline of ranks and roles, yet primary official service records are not attached to every public account; where reporting diverges, outlets acknowledge the need for further verification ^{[8] [9]}.

6. Bottom line: what his combat‑zone record shows and what remains unsettled

Consolidating available reporting, Hegseth’s combat‑zone résumé is described as three deployments: a Guantánamo security/detainee assignment, infantry platoon leadership and civil‑military officer duties in Iraq (including Baghdad and Samarra), and a senior counterinsurgency instructor role in Kabul, with rank progression from commissioned infantry lieutenant to captain and later promotion to major before moving to the IRR ^{[1] [3] [5] [4] [2]}. Where reporting varies—exact award citations, the specific nature of actions tied to medals, and fine‑grained timelines—sources explicitly note those inconsistencies and the limits of publicly available documentation ^{[8] [9]}.