Pete Hegseth removed a top four-star general who was advised to drop an internal investigation concerning a Kid Rock Apache helicopter stunt. Hegseth additionally awarded higher military honors to Marines and other service members who served during the 2021 Abbey Gate attack in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon claimed that Hegseth's formal inquiry into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan uncovered concealed records. Along with the military probe findings, Hegseth stood firm by the LaNeve nomination despite reported hesitation expressed by federal lawmakers.