HON Pete Hegseth
The secretary of war oversees the War Department and acts as the principal war policy maker and advisor.
About
The Honorable Pete Hegseth is the secretary of war. He was sworn in on Jan. 25, 2025, as the 29th secretary of defense before the department’s name was changed on Sept. 5, 2025. A graduate of Princeton University in 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard. He participated in a number of active-duty deployments during his time in service, including operations in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Today's Events
The secretary provides remarks, along with the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, at 1:30 a.m. EDT, and 3:30 a.m. EDT, at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium. The remarks will be livestreamed on war.gov and DOW social media platforms.