Pete Hegseth

You know, it's funny. There was a part of me that didn't even want to go to the Pentagon. It wasn't necessarily something that I dreamed of. I mean, I think my first job I was really obsessed with, like a lot of young boys, was being a firefighter. Where did you grow up? I grew up, I was born in California, lived in Massachusetts for a while, but home is Scottsdale, Arizona.

You know, it's funny. There was a part of me that didn't even want to go to the Pentagon. It wasn't necessarily something that I dreamed of. I mean, I think my first job I was really obsessed with, like a lot of young boys, was being a firefighter. Where did you grow up? I grew up, I was born in California, lived in Massachusetts for a while, but home is Scottsdale, Arizona.

You know, it's funny. There was a part of me that didn't even want to go to the Pentagon. It wasn't necessarily something that I dreamed of. I mean, I think my first job I was really obsessed with, like a lot of young boys, was being a firefighter. Where did you grow up? I grew up, I was born in California, lived in Massachusetts for a while, but home is Scottsdale, Arizona.

That's where I consider home. My kids were born there. My parents still live there. My grandma still lives there. I still have a lot of family there, and that will always be home for me.

That's where I consider home. My kids were born there. My parents still live there. My grandma still lives there. I still have a lot of family there, and that will always be home for me.

That's where I consider home. My kids were born there. My parents still live there. My grandma still lives there. I still have a lot of family there, and that will always be home for me.

So I went to a Jesuit all-boys school, and the last two years were very intense. The expectation was everybody was going to go to college. And by the end of my time in high school, I didn't want to do more academics. I didn't want to go to college, but it was the thing you had to do. So I dragged myself down to Tucson to go to the University of Arizona. And candidly, I was miserable.

So I went to a Jesuit all-boys school, and the last two years were very intense. The expectation was everybody was going to go to college. And by the end of my time in high school, I didn't want to do more academics. I didn't want to go to college, but it was the thing you had to do. So I dragged myself down to Tucson to go to the University of Arizona. And candidly, I was miserable.

So I went to a Jesuit all-boys school, and the last two years were very intense. The expectation was everybody was going to go to college. And by the end of my time in high school, I didn't want to do more academics. I didn't want to go to college, but it was the thing you had to do. So I dragged myself down to Tucson to go to the University of Arizona. And candidly, I was miserable.

I didn't have any motivation to go to class or do stuff, and I just was hating life. And then one day, my best friend, just a dear friend, I love him to death, James O'Connor, he was... From high school? From high school. He had dropped out of Arizona State University and enlisted in the Army as a paratrooper like his dad and was attached to 101st as part of the Pathfinder unit.

I didn't have any motivation to go to class or do stuff, and I just was hating life. And then one day, my best friend, just a dear friend, I love him to death, James O'Connor, he was... From high school? From high school. He had dropped out of Arizona State University and enlisted in the Army as a paratrooper like his dad and was attached to 101st as part of the Pathfinder unit.

I didn't have any motivation to go to class or do stuff, and I just was hating life. And then one day, my best friend, just a dear friend, I love him to death, James O'Connor, he was... From high school? From high school. He had dropped out of Arizona State University and enlisted in the Army as a paratrooper like his dad and was attached to 101st as part of the Pathfinder unit.

And he was in Iraq in the summer. He went to Iraq in the fall of 2005. And I remember him on AOL Instant Messenger sending me a message saying, my team almost got hit by an IED. And I was kind of like, what am I doing here? I need to get in the fight. Because growing up, he asked me what I wanted to do is I was very interested in military history. And my grandfather...

And he was in Iraq in the summer. He went to Iraq in the fall of 2005. And I remember him on AOL Instant Messenger sending me a message saying, my team almost got hit by an IED. And I was kind of like, what am I doing here? I need to get in the fight. Because growing up, he asked me what I wanted to do is I was very interested in military history. And my grandfather...

And he was in Iraq in the summer. He went to Iraq in the fall of 2005. And I remember him on AOL Instant Messenger sending me a message saying, my team almost got hit by an IED. And I was kind of like, what am I doing here? I need to get in the fight. Because growing up, he asked me what I wanted to do is I was very interested in military history. And my grandfather...

who is very important to me, he was a paratrooper, but I became obsessed with the Marine Corps. And he had me read two books, The Nightingale Song, about... Amazing book. It's an amazing book. I still go and read it every couple of years.

who is very important to me, he was a paratrooper, but I became obsessed with the Marine Corps. And he had me read two books, The Nightingale Song, about... Amazing book. It's an amazing book. I still go and read it every couple of years.

who is very important to me, he was a paratrooper, but I became obsessed with the Marine Corps. And he had me read two books, The Nightingale Song, about... Amazing book. It's an amazing book. I still go and read it every couple of years.

Yeah. And then he had me read Fields of Fire by Jim Webb. Oh my gosh. And Jim Webb is one of my personal heroes.

Yeah. And then he had me read Fields of Fire by Jim Webb. Oh my gosh. And Jim Webb is one of my personal heroes.