Pete Hegseth (Peter Brian Hegseth) is a former U.S. Army National Guard infantry officer and television personality who, in this context, is serving as the U.S. Secretary of War—the civilian head of the Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense). He was sworn in on Jan. 25, 2025 as the 29th Secretary of Defense and continued in office after the department was rebranded as the Department of War later in 2025.
In this release, “Secretary of War” is the title being used for the civilian Cabinet official who leads the U.S. military department historically known as the Department of Defense. In September 2025, President Trump signed an executive order rebranding the Department of Defense with its original historical name, the Department of War, and referring to Pete Hegseth as “Secretary of War.” Because federal law still names the agency the Department of Defense, the order treats “Department of War” as a secondary or branding title, but the position’s role and powers are those of the traditional Secretary of Defense.
A “general officer nomination” is a formal proposal by the President to promote a military officer into the general (or flag) officer ranks or to assign a general officer to a specific senior position. In the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force, “general officers” are the four highest ranks: brigadier general (one‑star, O‑7), major general (two‑star, O‑8), lieutenant general (three‑star, O‑9), and general (four‑star, O‑10).
General officer nominations are made by the President and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate under the Constitution’s “advice and consent” requirement. Typically, the White House sends the nominations to the Senate; they are referred (for military officers) to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which may hold hearings and then votes to report them to the full Senate. The full Senate then votes; a simple majority (at least 51 votes if all senators are present) is required to confirm each nomination, though nominations are often grouped and approved by unanimous consent. Individual senators can delay votes by placing “holds,” but only the Senate as a whole can approve or reject the nominations.
Yes. The official Department of War release lists each nominee by name, current rank and duty position, the rank to which they are being nominated, and in some cases the new assignment. For example, it names Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan for promotion to general with assignment as commander, U.S. Southern Command, and similarly lists several Marine Corps colonels nominated to brigadier general, with their current roles described.
The complete official release is available on the U.S. Department of War (Defense) website at this link: https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4365560/secretary-of-war-general-officer-announcements-for-december-19-2025/. Additional context on general officer nominations and assignments can be found in other DoD/Department of War releases and in the Congressional Research Service report on general and flag officers.