Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted never-before-seen photos on Tuesday of his secret Saturday trip to visit troops prosecuting America’s war on Iran.
In the images, the former Fox News anchor and former Army National Guard officer shakes hands with a soldier, speaks to groups of troops, and dons a military aviation headset, apparently speaking to pilots soon to carry out bombings on Iran.
“I witnessed warriors,” he wrote in the post to X. “A brotherhood of men and women – warriors all.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted never-before-seen photos on Tuesday of his secret Saturday trip to visit troops prosecuting America’s war on Iran. X / @SecWarHegseth first revealed his visit — which lasted about half a day — during a press briefing at the Pentagon Tuesday morning, calling the trip “an honor.”
“I had a chance to bear witness, and I witnessed the best of America,” he said at the podium. “… Active-duty, Guard and reserve, united in their love for each other, their shared purpose and their commitment to the mission.”
Hegseth detailed his powerful visit, reporting on the strength of spirit he saw in the US troops at the heart of the war.
In the images, the former Fox News anchor and former Army National Guard officer shakes hands with a soldier and speaks to groups of troops. X / @SecWar“Right when we landed, another C-17 landed just minutes after us. Within 30 seconds of the aircraft coming to a full stop, a team on the ground pulled up, and the cargo was being unloaded. Wartime speed,” he said.
“On the ground, in the air, on the flight line, in the [tactical operations center] — I heard, ‘we want everything faster. Higher op tempo. Wartime speed.”
He also pointed out the different sense of duty he witnessed among these troops carrying out what was promised to be a temporary mission — compared to that of American service members before them who served years on end throughout the conflicts of the Global War of Terror in the wake of 9/11.
Hegseth also dons a military aviation headset in the photos, apparently speaking to pilots soon to carry out bombings on Iran. X / @SecWar
“I witnessed warriors,” Hegseth wrote in the post to X. “A brotherhood of men and women – warriors all.” X / @SecWar“The feeling was the exact opposite of the rotational units, year after year, in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that we are so familiar with,” he said. “In those wars, it was always about the next rotation, never knowing when the mission would end or exactly what the mission was.”
The comments pushed back against those heard among critics who claim the weeks-long campaign will balloon into another conflict that keeps the US in the Middle East for decades.
