Pete Hegseth in uniform. (Fox News)
"Having taken charge of his platoon mere days before deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he effectively led his platoon through five months of combat," the report read. "He planned and executed platoon operations ranging from air assault raids to the defense of a forward operating base (FOB)."
During his tour as platoon leader, his evaluators said Hegseth ensured "that his platoon remained physically fit and mentally ready to meet the challenges of protracted missions in demanding conditions."
While serving at FOB Falcon, Iraq, Hegseth's platoon "developed and fortified a platoon sector of the company defense and executed their portion of a continuous defense for three months while planning and executing additional offensive operations."
Under his leadership, the report detailed, Hegseth's platoon "cleared areas around FOB Falcon suspected of insurgent activity and denied their use to the Anti-Iraqi Forces" and "also conducted an air assault, high-value target raid in which they captured an Al Qaeda in Iraq cell leader." Hegseth and his troops moved north to Samarra, Iraq, where "he effectively transitioned his platoon to continuous offensive operations and conducted nine days of continuous combat outposts, nine days of patrolling and a deliberate cordon and search plus numerous time-sensitive missions," the report read.
"His performance as platoon leader has been solid. He is more than capable to operate independently, controlling not only his squads but also air support, indirect fire support and other external combat support assets," his evaluators wrote.
Pete Hegseth giving a thumbs-up alongside wife Jennifer Hegseth, left, to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
"His performance as the battalion assistant civil-military operations officer has been superb," the company executive officer wrote of Hegseth. "He is a proven combat leader who is calm under fire and leads from the front."
"Peter is physically and mentally tough, and demonstrates a level of maturity, poise, and confidence usually found in more senior officers," the report went on.
"Peter always accomplishes every mission to high standards with minimal guidance or supervision. He has unlimited potential," the evaluator added.
Hegseth similarly received glowing feedback when he later deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard, another officer evaluation report from 2012 showed.
"Outstanding performance. CPT Pete Hegseth is the best CPT in this command (#1 of 12)," the report says. "Pete clearly rose to the top of his peer group through his exceptional leadership abilities, initiative, and dedication to mission accomplishment. Pete worked extremely hard to learn as much as he could about counterinsurgency operations, easily developing into one of my best COIN instructors. He always received high marks on the end-of-course critiques."
The report referenceed Hegseth's "personal courage and selfless service" during an October 2011 attack.
"Pete [led] a quick reaction force to assist with the recovery of casualties, ensuring the site was secure and the remains were all accounted for," the report went on.
The evaluator said Hegseth "should be given command as soon as possible and closely monitored to maximize his potential to career progression."
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Hegseth received two Bronze Star Medals and two Army Commendation Medals, among other honors. He was praised for his work building out lesson courses and re-wiring the guidebook for the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan, taking hours to do research, sometimes during off-hours, and training NATO students from multiple countries.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-incredibly-talented-battle-proven-leader-military-evaluations-show