Pete Hegseth’s Highest Military Rank Was Major
The answer to what rank was Pete Hegseth is major. Before entering senior civilian government, Hegseth served as an officer in the U.S. Army National Guard and ultimately reached the rank of major. His military career included deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, along with assignments in the Minnesota Army National Guard and District of Columbia Army National Guard. The U.S. government’s official biography confirms that Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer after graduating from Princeton University in 2003.
Hegseth is now serving in a civilian leadership position rather than as a uniformed military officer. Current official government materials identify him as the Secretary of War, following the 2025 change in the department’s name. His current government position should not be confused with his former military rank of major.
Pete Hegseth’s Highest Rank: Major
Hegseth did not retire from the military as a general or colonel. His highest documented rank was major, an Army field-grade officer rank above captain and below lieutenant colonel.
His military career began after his Princeton graduation, when he was commissioned through ROTC as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard. Over the course of his service, he advanced through the junior officer ranks before becoming a major. Multiple biographical records identify major as the highest rank he held.
This distinction has attracted attention because Hegseth later became responsible for leading the nation’s military establishment as a civilian cabinet official. His experience as a National Guard officer is therefore an important part of his biography, but his military rank and his government position are separate roles.
Pete Hegseth’s Military Rank Timeline
Hegseth’s service history shows a progression through several Army officer ranks.
- Second lieutenant: Hegseth received his commission as an infantry officer after graduating from Princeton in 2003.
- First lieutenant: He served as a junior infantry officer and deployed to Guantanamo Bay before later serving in Iraq.
- Captain: Hegseth later returned to military service and deployed to Afghanistan as a captain with the Minnesota Army National Guard.
- Major: After his Afghanistan service, he was promoted to major, which became his highest documented military rank.
Available sources differ somewhat on the exact timing of his promotion to major, but the central point is consistent: major was the highest rank Hegseth achieved during his Army National Guard career.
Where Did Pete Hegseth Serve?
Hegseth’s military service included several assignments and deployments. The official government biography says he served in the Army National Guard and participated in operations involving Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. He also held multiple staff assignments during his time in the National Guard.
His service was not limited to a single state National Guard organization. Reporting and biographical records identify service with the Minnesota Army National Guard as well as the District of Columbia Army National Guard.
His Iraq deployment was particularly significant in his military biography. He served as an infantry officer with the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment. He later served in Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor.
How Long Was Pete Hegseth in the Military?
Hegseth’s military career included multiple periods of service rather than one uninterrupted period on active duty. The current official biography lists his service periods as 2003–2006, 2010–2014 and 2019–2021.
He subsequently left military service. PolitiFact reported that when Hegseth retired from the National Guard in March 2021, he held the rank of major.
His military experience later became a central part of his public biography as he moved into veterans’ advocacy, media work and eventually federal government leadership.
What Military Awards Did Pete Hegseth Receive?
Hegseth received several military awards and qualifications during his service.
According to the official government biography, his awards include:
- Two Bronze Star Medals
- Joint Commendation Medal
- Two Army Commendation Medals
- Combat Infantryman Badge
- Expert Infantryman Badge
These decorations reflect his deployments and military service, particularly his time in combat-related assignments.
The Bronze Star Medals are among the most recognizable elements of Hegseth’s military record and have frequently been mentioned in biographies about his background.
Was Pete Hegseth a Colonel or General?
No. Pete Hegseth was not a colonel, brigadier general, major general or other general officer during his military career.
His highest rank was major. In the Army’s officer hierarchy, major is an O-4 rank. It comes after captain and before lieutenant colonel.
This is an important distinction when discussing Hegseth’s background because he later became the civilian official responsible for overseeing the military. His authority as a cabinet-level government official does not mean he previously held a comparable military rank.
Why Pete Hegseth’s Military Rank Matters
Hegseth’s rank has become a frequent search topic because of the unusual path from National Guard officer to one of the country’s top civilian military positions.
Unlike the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the service chiefs, the Secretary of War is a civilian position. The secretary provides civilian leadership over the military department and does not need to have previously reached general officer rank.
Hegseth was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of Defense on January 25, 2025. The department was subsequently renamed the Department of War in September 2025, with Hegseth continuing as its civilian secretary.
His military background nevertheless remains an important part of his qualifications and public profile.
Pete Hegseth’s Rank Compared With His Current Position
It is useful to separate three different descriptions of Hegseth:
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Military service | U.S. Army National Guard |
| Highest military rank | Major |
| Current government role | Secretary of War |
The title of secretary is a civilian government position, not a military rank. Therefore, describing Hegseth as a major refers to his previous military service, while describing him as Secretary of War refers to his current civilian office.
Latest Update on Pete Hegseth
Hegseth remains at the center of major military policy changes in the latest reporting. On September 30, 2026, he delivered a major “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico and announced initiatives involving autonomous warfare, military leadership structure, recruitment and defense infrastructure.
Recent reporting has also focused on Hegseth’s plan to reduce the number of senior general and admiral positions. The latest proposal would expand earlier reductions and target a 20% decrease in positions for senior generals and admirals by January 2027.
Those developments concern Hegseth’s role as the civilian head of the military department and do not change his own former military rank. His highest documented rank remains major.
Bottom Line: What Rank Was Pete Hegseth?
If you are searching for what rank was Pete Hegseth, the straightforward answer is major in the U.S. Army National Guard. He began his military career as an infantry officer after graduating from Princeton, served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, earned multiple military awards and eventually rose to major. He left military service in 2021 and later entered federal government, where he became the nation’s top civilian military official.
His current position should not be confused with his former military rank: major was his highest military rank, while Secretary of War is his civilian government position today.
What do you think about Pete Hegseth’s military background and career path? Share your thoughts and stay tuned for the latest updates.