US forces had increased training with NATO partners in exercises such as ‘Cold Response' pictured here. (Michael Fabey/Janes)
US President-elect Donald Trump broke with trend in installing defence secretaries with contemporary military leadership experience and lifelong armed-service careers with his nomination of Pete Hegseth.
After being elected the first time in office in 2016, Trump tapped Jim Mattis, a retired US Marine Corps (USMC) four-star general who had commanded forces in the 1990–91 Gulf War, the 2001–21 War in Afghanistan, and the 2003–11 Iraq War.
Mattis served as defence secretary until 2019, when he was replaced by Mark Esper, who had been serving as secretary of the US Army. Esper, a West Point graduate, served as an infantry officer during the 1990–91 Gulf War.
After winning his election in 2020, President Joe Biden turned to Lloyd Austin for defence secretary. Another career US Army officer, Austin retired in April 2016, finishing his uniformed service as the commander of US Central Command.
Now most publicly identified as a cable-show host for Fox News, Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003, embarking on a career as an equity capital markets analyst. He also holds a master's degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota National Guard, serving as infantry platoon leader with the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2004.
He then served in Baghdad and Samarra as infantry platoon leader. In Samarra, Hegseth was also a civil-military operations officer. Retuning to active duty as captain in 2012, he deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard.
For more information on defence policy issues regarding the new administration, please seeUS presidential election: Myriad policy decisions loom for Trump's second term .
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