Hegseth Ripped for ‘Pointless’ Military Stunt That Killed Airman
Laura Esposito The Daily Beast
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. (photo: Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
The airman died after a rappelling demonstration.
The service member died at a hospital after participating in a pregame rappelling demonstration at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans game, a spokesperson for Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs told CBS 8.
The airman’s name has not been released.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues,” a UT San Antonio spokesperson wrote in an Instagram post Saturday evening.
Social media videos show the airman losing control as he descended the rope. The football game continued just 10 minutes after he was transported to a local hospital.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The rappelling team consisted of members of the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, Task & Purpose reported. Though rappelling demonstrations are an annual feature of the game, the spectacle comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has emphasized a renewed “warrior ethos” within the U.S. military, drawing criticism of the Trump appointee.
“Thanks @PeteHegseth @SecWar for yet another pointless and tragic recruiting spectacle,” Jackie Singh, an aide on President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, wrote on X.
Play Video
Dem strategist Chris D. Jackson called the stunt “absolutely sickening.”
“This ridiculous military showboating at football games needs to STOP,” he wrote on X.
“Now a man could lose his life, all because some Hegseth-like official apparently thought putting on a macho spectacle for people who came to watch FOOTBALL was a brilliant idea. These men are human beings, NOT props for someone’s political theater.”
In response, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said it was “disgraceful that anyone would use the tragic death of a service member to try to score political points.”
Hegseth, for his part, spent Saturday at a different sports stadium, attending a football game between the University of Tennessee and the University of Alabama.
Prior to that, he administered the oath of enlistment to young men and women representing all service branches and the Tennessee National Guard. As he did so, he told them:
“We’ve had three core principles from the beginning of showing up at the War Department: restore the warrior ethos, rebuild the military, reestablish deterrence.”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Laura EspositoBreaking News Reporter
Unlock a year of full access to The Daily Beast for $35.
First month then $5.99/month
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
First year then $59.99/year
Discounted annual rate - Save 47%
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
First year then $119.99/year
Discounted annual rate
Full access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*
Premium ad-free reading
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Loading subscription options
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
First month then $5.99/month
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime
First year then $59.99/year
Discounted annual rate - Save 47%
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
Best Value
First year then $119.99/year
Discounted annual rate
Full access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*
Premium ad-free reading
Unlimited access (web + app)
Exclusive ad-free newsletters
Commenting access
Daily crossword
Sneak peek of launches & events
Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
