What specific roles did Pete Hegseth perform during his Iraq and Afghanistan deployments?
Executive summary
Pete Hegseth’s service record in the post-9/11 wars shows three overseas deployments: security duties at Guantánamo Bay, infantry leadership in Iraq (platoon leader and later civil‑military operations officer), and a later tour in Afghanistan as a senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul (2011–2012) [1] [2] [3]. Public accounts and military evaluations credit him with leading patrols and civil‑affairs missions in Iraq and teaching counterinsurgency tactics in Afghanistan, while critics point to controversial statements and episodes tied to his time in Iraq [4] [5].
1. Service summary: three deployments and distinct roles
Hegseth deployed three times after 2002: he served at Guantánamo Bay guarding detainees; he deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division for the 2005–2006 rotation where he was an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad and later acted as a civil‑military operations officer in Samarra; and he returned to Afghanistan in 2011–2012 as a senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul [1] [2] [3].
2. In Iraq: platoon leader, patrols, and civil‑military operations
Multiple reports and Hegseth’s evaluators say he led numerous patrols and civil‑affairs missions while serving as an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad in 2005 and as a civil‑military operations officer in Samarra in 2006; those performance reports praise his combat leadership, local engagement to collect intelligence, and efforts that allegedly contributed to capturing or killing insurgent leaders [1] [4]. Ballotpedia and United Against Nuclear Iran summarize the same specific Iraq duties—infantry platoon leader in Baghdad and civil‑military operations in Samarra [1] [2].
3. In Afghanistan: counterinsurgency instructor role
Hegseth volunteered to teach at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul and is described in authoritative summaries as a senior counterinsurgency instructor who taught for about eight months during the U.S. withdrawal period, even delivering one of the final classes at the school [6] [3] [2]. Contemporary biographies and profiles emphasize his instructional role rather than direct combat command during that 2011–2012 tour [3] [2].
4. Awards and badges cited as corroboration
Sources report Hegseth received two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his overseas service; media accounts and organizational biographies use those decorations to support assertions that he served in combat and performed frontline infantry duties [1] [2] [7]. Fox News published past performance evaluations that described “outstanding” leadership during deployments to Guantánamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan [4].
5. Contested conduct and public scrutiny tied to Iraq service
Reporting and excerpts from Hegseth’s own writings have drawn scrutiny: The Guardian reports he wrote about advising soldiers to ignore JAG guidance on rules of engagement and praised a brigade commander whom he described as incentivizing kills—claims that critics say raise ethical and legal concerns about conduct in Iraq [5]. This contrasts with the glowing language of his performance evaluations cited by Fox News, illustrating a split between official praise and later critical attention [4] [5].
6. How sources agree — and where they diverge
Biographical sources (Britannica, Ballotpedia, Defense/official bios) converge on the three deployments and the specific job titles: Guantánamo security, Iraq infantry platoon leader/civil‑military officer, Afghanistan counterinsurgency instructor [3] [1] [2]. Media scrutiny diverges over characterization: some outlets emphasize his combat leadership and awards [4], while investigative pieces highlight controversial anecdotes and alleged encouragements to sidestep legal advice [5].
7. Limits of available reporting and unanswered questions
Available sources do not mention granular day‑to‑day operational details—such as the exact patrols he led, unit rosters, after‑action reports, or any official disciplinary findings tied to the Iraq anecdotes—beyond the broad duties and cited anecdotes (not found in current reporting). Also, while performance evaluations and awards are cited, publicly available reporting here does not provide the underlying evaluation documents or full context for the incidents critics highlight [4] [5].
8. Bottom line for readers
Documentary sources and mainstream biographies consistently identify Hegseth’s roles: Guantánamo security, infantry platoon leader and civil‑military officer in Iraq, and senior counterinsurgency instructor in Afghanistan; contemporaneous press and evaluative excerpts back his battlefield leadership and decorations, but investigative reporting raises disputed claims about advice and attitudes toward rules of engagement that have fueled controversy [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].