WEST POINT, NY — The U.S. Military Academy at West Point announced on Friday that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will be the speaker at the Class of 2026's commencement ceremony on Saturday.
The event, which will start at 9:30 a.m., will be the 29th secretary of defense's first official visit to the academy.
The former Fox News personality has served as the United States secretary of defense since 2025.
Hegseth was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minn., and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard after graduating from Princeton University in 2003. He later earned a degree from Harvard University in 2013.
Hegseth participated in active-duty deployments, including operations in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.
More details about the graduation ceremony can be found here, including how to live stream the event.
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