Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Visits Troops in Latin America for Thanksgiving

War Secretary Pete Hegseth spent Thanksgiving serving meals to Navy sailors deployed in Latin America, offering a personal connection to service members unable to be with their families during the holiday.

Hegseth and his wife Jennifer visited sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill. The deployed personnel are supporting Operation Southern Spear, a mission targeting narco-terror networks throughout the Latin American region.

“I was deployed three times — was always thinking about my family and hoped they were gathering with food and football and all those things,” Hegseth said in a video posted to social media. “These folks won’t be. We’re going to bring them maybe a turkey and a little bit of cheer.”

The visit highlights the administration’s focus on military operations in the Western Hemisphere, where naval forces are playing a crucial role in interdicting drug trafficking routes that have contributed to the ongoing fentanyl crisis affecting communities across the United States. Southern Spear represents a significant component of broader national security efforts aimed at combating cartel activity that threatens both regional stability and domestic safety.

During his visit, Hegseth was seen serving Thanksgiving meals to sailors in the ship’s mess deck, joking, “I give out too much candy at Halloween and too much turkey on Thanksgiving.” Such personal interactions between senior leadership and frontline personnel often boost morale for service members stationed far from home during holidays.

The War Secretary also addressed Wednesday’s attack targeting two Washington, D.C. National Guardsmen, expressing solidarity with the injured personnel. “Our minds are also in Washington, D.C., with the two great Americans who were ambushed and targeted,” Hegseth said. “And we’re prayerful for them, for all those around them, for their families.”

In his formal address to the crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford, Hegseth conveyed appreciation from the highest levels of government. “Happy Thanksgiving from me, the Secretary of War. Happy Thanksgiving from the President of the United States. Happy Thanksgiving from a grateful nation,” he said.

The Secretary drew connections between service members operating in different environments but united in their mission to protect Americans. “Whether it’s in our nation’s capital, walking patrol, or whether it’s in our nation’s hemisphere, out at sea, interdicting cartels, defending the American people — we are grateful for you,” Hegseth told the sailors.

Military deployments during holidays have long been challenging for service members and their families. According to Department of Defense data, thousands of American military personnel remain deployed globally during major holidays each year, with Navy ships maintaining continuous presence in strategic regions to ensure maritime security and counter illicit activities.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, which Hegseth visited, is America’s newest aircraft carrier and represents the technological advancement of U.S. naval capabilities. Meanwhile, destroyers like the USS Winston S. Churchill provide critical security presence and interdiction capabilities necessary for combating drug trafficking organizations operating in the waters of Latin America.

Hegseth, who has been implementing significant policy changes at the newly renamed Department of War, concluded his address by reciting portions of George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation and offering a prayer for all deployed forces.

“Godspeed, God bless, you are in our prayers, and we are grateful. Thank you. Thank you very much,” he said.

The Secretary’s Thanksgiving visit continues a long tradition of senior defense officials spending holidays with deployed troops, acknowledging the personal sacrifices made by military personnel and their families in service to national security objectives.