Defense

Hegseth visits US troops in Middle East amid war with Iran

by Filip Timotija - 03/31/26 9:17 AM ET

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday morning that he made a previously undisclosed visit to U.S. service members in the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) area over the weekend.

Hegseth told reporters that he was in the Centcom area for about “half” of Saturday. For operational security and so that the troops would not be targeted by Iran, he said the places and bases visited “will not be named.”

“The trip was an honor. I had a chance to bear witness, and I witnessed the best of America. I witnessed warriors, a brotherhood of men and women, warriors all. Active duty guard and reserve, united in their love for each other, their shared purpose and their commitment to the mission,” during the press briefing at the Pentagon.

“I witnessed sheer competency,” he added.

During the trip, Hegseth said he spoke to service members of all ranks and services, from Air Force and Navy pilots, officers who help shoot down incoming Iranian missiles and an Air Force intelligence analyst with whom he shared his contact information.

“I met the Air Force intel analyst who refines target packages faster than the enemy can adapt. I actually gave him my card and told him to keep me posted on the ground truth,” Hegseth said.

“I did the same with his boss, a colonel with a heart the size of Texas and a beautiful deployment mustache to match,” he told reporters.

Hegseth said that none of the service members knew that he and his team were coming for a visit.

“It was not rehearsed or scripted. Sometimes we just wandered,” he told reporters. “What I witnessed was motivation. It was sheer mission focus. It was the American warrior unleashed.”

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