Military pay overhaul promises troops their wages during disputes
A new US military pay promise puts wages first during disputes. Our research examines earlier debt safeguards and the payroll reform already under way.
US secretary of war
Pete Hegseth
US secretary of war.
Pete Hegseth leads the US military department as secretary of war. He was sworn in as the 29th secretary of defense on January 25, 2025. After graduating from Princeton University in 2003, he became an infantry officer in the Army National Guard and served on deployments including Iraq and Afghanistan.
His responsibilities include the department's personnel and financial administration. Daylight Post's report on his military pay announcement examines the pledge to continue usual wages during disputes, earlier debt-review safeguards and the work already under way to modernize payroll.
In our reporting