Military evaluations demonstrate Hegseth as a 'battle-proven leader' with 'incredible talent'.

According to a copy of military evaluations obtained by Planet Chronicle Digital, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's nominee for defense secretary, was described as an "incredibly talented, battle-proven leader."

On Tuesday, Hegseth will face a Senate confirmation hearing, where he will be questioned about his ability to lead the Department of Defense. Despite being a critic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, Hegseth has been scrutinized for his qualifications.

Hegseth's leadership skills were described as "outstanding" in past performance evaluations obtained by Planet Chronicle, which include deployments to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Hegseth was assigned to lead a 39-man Air Assault Infantry Rifle platoon in Guantánamo Bay, which could deploy anywhere in the world within 36 hours as part of the New Jersey National Guard.

In the evaluation report for the period from April 2005 to January 2006, Hegseth was praised for his "outstanding performance" and was characterized as a "talented and experienced leader."

"With only a few days of command before deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom, he successfully led his platoon through five months of combat, executing various operations such as air assault raids and defending a forward operating base (FOB)."

Hegseth's platoon remained physically fit and mentally ready for protracted missions in demanding conditions, according to his evaluators during his tour as platoon leader.

At FOB Falcon, Iraq, Hegseth's platoon created and reinforced a section of the company's defense and carried out their part of a continuous defense for three months while also planning and executing additional offensive operations.

Under Hegseth's leadership, his 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 platoon leadership has been impressive, as he is capable of operating independently and managing various combat support assets, including air, indirect fire, and external assets," his evaluators noted.

Several Republican lawmakers held a news conference on Capitol Hill Monday, expressing their support for Hegseth amid anticipation of a fight during his confirmation process on Tuesday.

Hegseth faced criticism for mismanagement of veteran nonprofit funds and lack of recent military experience. He was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a GOP conference in 2017, although he was never criminally charged. He reportedly recognized paying his accuser an undisclosed sum over the allegations.

"Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated that he is 110% behind Pete Hegseth and will ensure that he succeeds despite any criticism or negative comments."

""The past four years have been a disaster for our military. Despite having many dedicated individuals who believe in the United States, we need a leader to move forward. It all starts with one person. Instead of a general from the Pentagon, we require a drill sergeant who has experience in two wars, understands teamwork, work ethic, time management, restraint, and respect," Tuberville stated."

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., stated that he strongly supports Pete Hegseth due to two reasons: our military is the most educated and powerful in history, and we haven't won a war in 80 years.

In Iraq, Hegseth served as an assistant civil military operations officer for a 660-man Air Assault Infantry Battalion. According to another report obtained by Planet Chronicle Digital, evaluators described him as "an absolutely outstanding officer," who was "intelligent, mature and extremely gifted" and had become "a tremendous asset to his battillion and had contributed immensely to the BN's performance during the past six months."

The report on the evaluation of the officer Hegseth stated that he led numerous patrols and civil affairs missions, and provided exceptional support to the battalion, demonstrating his strength as a combat leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His evaluators noted that he developed relationships and trust with many of the local leaders of Samarra, Iraq, which enabled him to collect intelligence that led to the capture/killing of numerous Al Qaeda and insurgent leaders.

"The company executive officer praised Hegseth's performance as the battalion assistant civil-military operations officer, stating that he is a skilled combat leader who remains composed in high-pressure situations and leads by example."

The report stated that Peter exhibits both physical and mental toughness, as well as a level of maturity, poise, and confidence typically seen in more senior officers.

Peter consistently completes all tasks with exceptional results, requiring little direction or oversight. The evaluator noted that he possesses immense potential.

Another officer evaluation report from 2012 revealed that Hegseth received positive feedback when he was deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard.

"Pete Hegseth is the top-performing CPT in this command (#1 of 12)," the report states. "Pete's outstanding leadership abilities, initiative, and commitment to mission accomplishment propelled him to the top of his peer group. Pete worked tirelessly to master counterinsurgency operations and quickly became one of my top COIN instructors. His end-of-course critiques consistently received high marks."

During an October 2011 attack, Hegseth's "personal courage and selfless service" were referenced in the report.

The report stated that Pete led a prompt response team to help with the recovery of casualties, ensuring the site was safe and all remains were accounted for.

The evaluator recommended that Hegseth be given command immediately and closely monitored to maximize his potential for career advancement.

Hegseth was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Star Medals and two Army Commendation Medals. He was particularly commended for his efforts in developing lesson courses and revising the guidebook, which involved extensive research and dedication, often outside of regular working hours. Additionally, he demonstrated exceptional skills in training NATO students from various countries.