Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Met With U.S. Military Officials in Hawaii — Here's Why
Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with military leaders in and outside of the country.
Published March 26 2025, 11:41 a.m. ET
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Hawaii to meet with United States military leaders as part of a plan to visit other officials around the world and meet face-to-face. But, after the U.S. began airstrikes in Yemen amid confusion and anger, many want to know why Pete Hegseth is in Hawaii at what appears to be such a crucial time.
Hegseth’s visit to Oahu, in Honolulu specifically, marks his first official visit as the secretary of defense to the Indo-Pacific region. It’s an important place for the U.S. military, and, in a meeting with military leaders, Hegseth explained why it’s important for him to develop and maintain relationships with U.S. military leaders stationed around the country and around the world, too.
Why is Pete Hegseth in Hawaii?
Hegseth visited the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) in Honolulu to explain his vision for the Defense Department and to discuss the country’s overall military security. He told the group, which appeared both in person and virtually, that he intended to work on peace through the military working together to strengthen itself, according to the U.S. Department of Defense website.
"Many of you graduated from our premier forum for studying the Indo-Pacific, and for building ties among national security leaders who are engaged in this region," Hegseth said at the event. "Our relationships — and our teamwork — form the foundation of achieving peace through strength."
His reason for visiting this region first, among other planned stops for him, is because of the efforts of the DKI APCSS when it comes to supplying weapons for the U.S.
"By restoring the warrior ethos, U.S. forces assigned to the Indo-Pacific will be the best trained and best equipped forces in the world," Hegseth told the audience.
His speech also alluded to showing strength by visiting the Indo-Pacific region specifically to show the country’s enemies that there is still strength from the U.S. in Hawaii.
Hawaii is the headquarters of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM). There are multiple operating military bases in Hawaii.
During his visit, Hegseth also reiterated the three core tenets that he shared during his January 2025 message to the U.S. military — restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.
Pete Hegseth was in the military for almost 20 years.
Prior to taking on the role of the head of the Department of Defense, Hegseth had spent almost 20 years in military service himself. He joined the U.S. Army National Guard in 2003 and remained in the military until 2021. During his time in the service, he was deployed multiple times to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay.
Over the course of his career, he earned several awards for his service before he left in 2021. His awards include the Joint Commendation Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.