A man who served alongside Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, in Guantanamo Bay defended the former second lieutenant as someone "who can restore faith in the Department of Defense" in an opinion piece released by Newsweek on Tuesday.
Hegseth, a longtime Fox News contributor who served in the U.S. Army, has seen his nomination come under question due to a sexual assault allegation made against him in 2017, an allegation that Hegseth denies.
"As someone who served alongside then-second lieutenant Pete Hegseth during a deployment to Guantanamo Bay, I witnessed how he embodies the qualities that make him a natural-born leader and a man worthy of safeguarding our nation's survival," Derek McCall, who says he served with Hegseth in Guantanamo Bay from May 2004 to May 2005, wrote in the opinion piece.
"During that deployment, Hegseth stood out as a leader among leaders. While many officers might delegate and maintain their distance, he led by example," McCall continues.
He adds that Hegseth "inspired his soldiers to follow him willingly" and notes that "leadership isn't granted through service — it's earned through action, and he earned his men's trust."
McCall concludes, "If there's one person I would follow in combat again, it's Pete Hegseth. If there's one person who can restore faith in the Department of Defense, inspire our military, and defend this nation with both wisdom and courage, it's him."