Which operations or deployments did Pete Hegseth participate in while serving?

1. Three deployments, three theaters — a straight line through the post‑9/11 wars

Multiple biographical accounts say Hegseth was deployed three times after 9/11: first to Guantánamo Bay, then to Iraq (Baghdad/Samarra), and later to Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor — a pattern noted in encyclopedia and organizational bios ^{[1] [3] [2]}.

2. Guantánamo Bay: early duty at the detention facility

Hegseth’s first active deployment is reported as service at Guantánamo Bay in 2004–2005 while with the New Jersey Army National Guard; sources identify that tour as one of his initial active‑duty assignments ^{[2] [4]}.

3. Iraq: infantry platoon leader in Baghdad, civil‑military work in Samarra

Accounts specify Hegseth deployed with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division to Baghdad in 2005, serving as an infantry platoon leader, and toward the end of that tour acted as a civil‑military operations officer in Samarra in 2006 ^{[2] [5]}.

4. Afghanistan: counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul (2011–2012)

Hegseth later returned to active duty and served in Afghanistan, most frequently described as the senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul during 2011–2012 ^{[3] [1]}.

5. Decorations and rank tied to those deployments

Biographical notes link his deployments to awards such as Bronze Stars and other service medals; Britannica and other profiles summarize those honors as part of his service record following the listed deployments ^[1].

6. Consistency across sources, with slight phrasing differences

Major sources — Britannica, Ballotpedia, United Against Nuclear Iran and official DVIDS/DoD‑style bios — agree on the three locations (Guantánamo, Iraq, Afghanistan). They vary in emphasis (e.g., some highlight platoon leadership in Baghdad, others stress the instructor role in Kabul) but not on the core deployments ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}.

7. What the available reporting does not say

Available sources do not mention, by name, specific named operations (for example, “Operation Iraqi Freedom” or unit task‑force operation names) tied to Hegseth’s deployments; public bios describe theaters and roles rather than operation code names (not found in current reporting).

8. Why this deployment record matters politically and legally

Hegseth’s deployment résumé — infantry leader in Iraq and instructor in Afghanistan, plus Guantánamo experience — underpins both his credentials used in political appointments and the scrutiny he now faces as a senior civilian defense official; outlets link his service record to both his policy posture and the credibility debates surrounding his later orders as secretary ^{[1] [6]}.

9. Competing perspectives and caveats in the record

Sources present a consistent core but differ in detail and tone: encyclopedias and organizational bios present deployments and medals straightforwardly ^{[1] [2]}, advocacy or opinion outlets may frame his record to support critiques or defenses of his later actions ^{[7] [6]}. Readers should note a gap: none of the provided sources supply exhaustive unit action reports or full service chronologies with every duty station and operation name (not found in current reporting).

10. Bottom line — what we can state confidently

Based on the available reporting, Hegseth’s service includes active deployments to Guantánamo Bay, Iraq (Baghdad and Samarra) and Afghanistan (Kabul, counterinsurgency instruction), with three deployments overall and awards cited in multiple bios ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}. Sources do not provide a more granular operational map (operation code names or every mission detail) in the material supplied (not found in current reporting).