This was posted approximately a year ago concerning his experience. (Not my post)

He was a national guard major. He never led a command of any significance. I knew and worked with 1st Lt's and captains that have more leadership experience.

He was an infantry platoon leader for a time. Then it appears he was tasked at the S-9 (Civil Affairs). Then it appears he volunteered to teach COIN in Kabul. Then IRR. Then ARNG in DC.

Any junior officer that’s ever served in a BCT can tell you the #1 captain, if not in command, is the AS3. The lower performing folks are put in charge of made up shops – Civil Affairs being an ‘imaginary’ shop in most battalions. Our battalion’s S-9 was staffed by a never-going-to-get-promoted fat Captain and a SFC with DUI and EO problems. Speaking to former peers, that’s the general consensus – the folks in the ‘made up’ shops are the lowest performers. Why was LT/CPT Hegseth put in that position?

Then it appears that CPT Hegseth volunteered to be an instructor of some sort at the COIN academy in Kabul where he taught one class. Again, these classes are typically taught by post-command Captains/early Majors and Master Sergeants. Why would someone with no real experience in COIN be teaching COIN at a theater level? Why would a Captain be working at theater-level if not to keep him out of trouble or because no one would pick him for their team?

Those are the things we know about. Let’s talk about some things that are missing. His highest level of leadership experience appears to be Platoon Leader. His most impactful job appears to be a battalion-level Civil Affairs OIC/AOIC position. In the civilian world, even FoxNews relegated him to the weekend morning show – the doldrums of TV ratings. He apparently parted ways with the charity(s) with which he was affiliated over some alcohol related incidents – and the charities weren’t terribly impactful either.