A report by the Washington Post recalled what was described as a "security incident" in Iraq, back in 2006, which involved US combat soldiers in Samarra. The soldiers participated in what was later revealed to be the intentional murder of two detainees on May 9, 2006. 

The report explains that the combat soldiers were found guilty of releasing the detainees and then shooting them dead as they ran. But who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, and how was he involved? 

Hegseth joined the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team in the summer of 2005, just before its deployment. 

This account of Pete Hegseth's Iraq deployment draws on interviews with eight sources, military records, and media reports. It paints a picture of a future Secretary of Defense who observed an investigation into military misconduct that upended the lives of his colleagues, according to The Washington Post. 

Hegseth closely followed the cases of Army officers Clint Lorance and Mathew Golsteyn, both charged with murders in Afghanistan, and Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder but punished for posing with an ISIS fighter’s corpse.

In November 2019, after President Trump pardoned Lorance and Golsteyn and reinstated Gallagher's rank despite Pentagon opposition, Hegseth vigorously defended the decisions on Fox News. He argued that Trump supported those making difficult, split-second decisions in combat, dismissing evidence of military law violations. "These are not cases where people went into villages to kill innocent people," he claimed.

'A dark past'

The Washington Post recalls that Hegseth was deployed in 2004 to Guantanamo Bay, where he served at the US detention facility holding 9/11 suspects and detainees from the alleged "war on terror." After a brief return to Wall Street, he volunteered for an assignment to Iraq in 2005, becoming a platoon leader for about 40 soldiers in Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment.

Hegseth led missions first in Baghdad and later around Samarra, according to retired Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy, who served as the senior enlisted soldier in Charlie Company.

Charlie Company, with around 140 men, was known as the brigade’s most aggressive unit, confronting threats with a boldness that would later attract scrutiny from senior leaders, according to those familiar with the deployment.

'Kill Company' squad

Nicknamed “Kill Company", they kept a whiteboard listing confirmed kills, including civilians. Hegseth, in a 2009 New Yorker interview, explained that the company’s aggressiveness stemmed from training at Fort Campbell. He voiced concerns to his commander about going into a building with weapons drawn, allegedly fearing civilian casualties but was told it was an Al-Qaeda target.

According to the report, he was later reassigned to oversee governance projects in Samarra, a region ravaged by violence, but trouble was brewing for his old unit.

As the investigation into the deaths unfolded, the military's case against the soldiers began to unravel. Two soldiers, Hunsaker and Clagett, were charged with murder, while Girouard faced accusations of complicity and obstruction of justice. Graber, who had initially claimed he shot the detainee to "end his suffering", later admitted that he had acted out of "frustration and anger."

According to the report, the inquiry revealed troubling inconsistencies in the soldiers’ reports, with several conflicting accounts emerging about the events leading to the deaths. Some soldiers claimed they had acted in self-defense, but evidence showed no hostile actions from the detainees. As the case progressed, it became clear that a pattern of misconduct had developed within the unit, fueled by an atmosphere of recklessness and disregard for the rules of engagement.

Eventually, a military court convened to try the soldiers. Hunsaker and Clagett were convicted of unpremeditated murder, while Girouard was sentenced for dereliction of duty and cover-up. Graber was found guilty of aggravated assault for his role in the execution-style killing of one detainee. The scandal rocked the military community, raising difficult questions about leadership, accountability, and the blurred lines between combat actions and war crimes.

Hegseth's bloodthirsty infantry 

According to The Washington Post, the suspicion extended well beyond the soldiers who were eventually imprisoned. Defense lawyers for the accused painted a picture of a violent, undisciplined culture within Hegseth's former infantry company. As one senior soldier in the unit put it, the experience was profoundly impactful for everyone involved.

Critics of Hegseth’s potential nomination highlight his lack of experience leading large organizations and his controversial views, including advocating for the dismissal of generals supporting diversity, opposing women in combat, and claiming Islam is "not a religion of peace."

According to the report, his tattoos were flagged by National Guard colleagues after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as symbols linked to the far right, yet he denied any association, as per the report.