Secretary of War to Speak at West Point's Graduation

WEST POINT, N.Y. – It was announced today that the Secretary of War the Honorable Pete Hegseth will be the speaker at the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2026 graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 23.  

This marks his first official visit to the academy.  

Hegseth is the 29th secretary of war and serves as the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of War.  

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minn., he was commissioned as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard following his graduation from Princeton University in 2003. He later earned a degree from Harvard University in 2013. 

He participated in a number of active-duty deployments during his time in service, including operations in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth also served in multiple staff positions in the National Guard.  

For more information about the Class of 2026’s graduation ceremony, Class of 2026 Graduation | U.S. Military Academy West Point. 

Tune into the Class of 2026’s commencement ceremony via live stream at West Point - The U.S. Military Academy - YouTube.

About West Point 

The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal service academy located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission is to build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.