Cole Welsh, Editor

In one of his first personnel selections since winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump selected Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth to lead America’s Defense Department.

Shocking many in the defense and political establishment, Trump’s pick of Hegseth is an unconventional choice that speaks to Trump’s promise of rebuilding and transforming the military.

Hegseth, 44, is a political commentator for Fox News and most recently was the weekend co-host of “Fox & Friends.”

While Hegseth is best known for his television career, his history of military service is extensive.

A decorated Army veteran, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2003. In 2004, his unit was called to Guantanamo Bay, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. After returning from Cuba, Hegseth volunteered to deploy to Iraq, where he served as an infantryman and was awarded the Bronze Star. In 2012, he returned to activity duty, deploying to Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor.

Even when not deployed, Hegseth has been a steady advocate for America’s service members and veterans.

A Princeton graduate, Hegseth was the executive director of Concerned Veterans for America, an organization that advocated for greater privatization of the Department of Veteran Affairs.

In 2019, Hegseth urged Trump to pardon American soldiers who had been accused of war crimes. In particular, he championed the case of a former Green Beret set to stand trial in the killing of a suspected Afghan bomb-maker. The effort was successful, with Trump pardoning Major Mathew Golsteyn and other servicemen.

The pick is a significant departure from Trump’s Pentagon picks in his first term, when he chose James Mattis, a retired four-star general, and Mark Esper, an Army secretary, to lead the Defense Department.

However, Hegseth’s military and conservative credentials, when paired with his loyalty to Trump, have certainly attracted the interest of the president-elect and his transition team.

While other Republicans were more critical of the New York billionaire, Hegseth was an early backer of Trump when he ran for president in 2016.

He was a serious contender to run the Department of Veterans Affairs in Trump’s first term, although Trump ultimately chose medical doctor David Shulkin for the role.

On many issues, Hegseth and Trump appear to be in line.

After Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020, Hegseth supported the decision, denouncing Iran as an “evil regime.”

Hegseth has also said that he wants to “clean house” at the Pentagon.

Specifically, he wants to purge the military of “woke” generals and civilian leaders who have left the military dangerously weak by prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion over combat readiness.

Like Trump, he is also critical of NATO allies who are not spending enough on defense, believing that these countries have not lived up to their commitments to the transatlantic alliance.

While this pick is undoubtedly a “shot across the bow” for the military establishment, it remains to be seen if the former television host will survive a confirmation battle in the Senate.

If confirmed, Hegseth would lead the Pentagon with volatile conflicts on multiple fronts, including the Israel-Hamas War, the Russia-Ukraine War and the overall threats posed by China and Iran.