Hegseth Makes Christmas Morale Calls to Service Members Across the Globe

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made a series of Christmas morale calls from the Pentagon to service members in units representing several military branches, Dec. 19.

Over the course of 90 minutes, Hegseth was able to reach out to the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea; the Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, operating in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility; the Wisconsin National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment at Camp Buehring, Kuwait; the Marine Corps' Combat Logistics Battalion 6 at Vaernes Garrison, Norway; the Army's 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and the Space Force's 821st Space Base Group at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland.

Each call gave the secretary the opportunity to thank the service members on behalf of the War Department for standing watch away from home during the holiday season, as well as to learn about the various units' missions.

"It's just energizing for me; it's just a great reminder of who we're serving, and it gets [the troops] an interaction that hopefully they can share with their friends and family," Hegseth said regarding why the calls are important.

"I wish I could be out there with them in all those locations. We have a uniquely global force, and it's our responsibility to remember them, especially in times like this," he added.

During each call, Hegseth gave every service member at the other end the opportunity to introduce themselves and mention what their job is. He also checked to see if the service members on the call had either received their recently appropriated "Warrior Dividend" of $1,776 announced by President Donald J. Trump last week, or if they knew it was on the way.

Hegseth also brought greetings to the troops on behalf of the president during all six calls.

"'Tell them I love them, Ok? All of them, I love them,'" Hegseth told the service members on behalf of the president, while showcasing a spot-on Trump impression that elicited smiles and laughter every time.

On two of the six morale calls, Hegseth was able to tie the missions and occupations of the service members he was talking to back to his own time in the military.

While speaking to the National Guard battalion from Wisconsin, currently mobilized to Kuwait, Hegseth reflected on his own time in the guard, noting that there's a strong sense of home state pride within every unit.

While speaking with the Army battalion currently stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Hegseth recalled his own time on the island while deployed there as an Army second lieutenant from 2004 to 2005 with the New Jersey National Guard.

"When I was there, we were still on … payphones, so that shows you how old I am," he jested.

"You know, it's the best of times, worst of times. You're with your [fellow service members], doing your thing, but you're away from the ones you love the most, and doing it all for them. And so, we just wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude and appreciation," Hegseth told the service members.

Many of the service members said they appreciated hearing from the secretary of war.

"[Hegseth's] phone call was a welcome reminder that we are forward postured for a reason. It was nice to see that my platoon plays a small part in the greater Department of War interests, and that we are appreciated enough to be noticed by [the secretary]," Army 1st Lt. David Word, one of the soldiers currently at Guantanamo Bay, said via email following the call.

"It was good to hear from the [secretary]; the call made me feel that they didn't forget about the little people in different bases around the world," Army Staff Sgt. Gabriel Sanchez, also assigned to the 228th Aviation Regiment in Cuba, commented following the call.

"It meant a lot to have a fellow National Guardsman share his message of gratitude; it was genuine and relatable," one of the Wisconsin Guardsmen currently in Kuwait said of the call with Hegseth.

"I appreciated that [Hegseth] took the time out of his morning to just show presence and support during the holidays. It shows he knows how hard it is to be away from family," said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tadd Hickey, an aircraft mechanic currently serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

"His Donald Trump impression was on point," he added.

The Christmas morale calls came a little under a month after Hegseth made a series of Thanksgiving morale calls, Nov. 24.