Washington, Jan 14 (AP) President-elect Donald Trump's choice for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, vowed Tuesday to foster a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon, portraying himself as a “change agent” during a testy Senate confirmation hearing that drew protesters but also veterans in support.

Hegesth did not initially address the allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking or his derisive views on women in combat and minorities, as senators determine whether the veteran and TV news show host is fit to lead the US military. Instead, he focused on his combat experience in the Army National Guard.

“It's time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent,” Hegseth said in his opening remarks.

“This is not academic,” he declared, wearing an American flag pocket square on his suitcoat. “This is my life.” Asked directly about the sexual assault allegation, Hegseth dismissed it as a “smear campaign” and unfair attack. But he did not specifically address any of the accusations, or tell the senators that he did not drink or womanise.

Senators immediately began drilling down on the questions surrounding Hegseth, with the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee acknowledging the “unconventional” choice and the top Democrat warning of “extremely alarming” allegations against him.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the chairman, compared Hegseth to Trump himself, dismissed the various allegations against him as unfounded and said he will “bring energy and fresh ideas to shake up the bureaucracy.” But Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. said flatly: “I do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job.” Hegseth, 44, comes from a new generation of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and his military experience is widely viewed as an asset. But he also brings a jarring record of past actions and statements, including about women, minorities and “woke” generals. He has vowed not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon.

Trump backed his pick, saying Hegseth has “my Complete and Total support” in a morning post.

The hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee is the start of a weeklong marathon as senators begin scrutinising Trump's choices for more than a dozen top administrative positions.

Hegseth is among the most endangered of Trump's Cabinet choices, but GOP allies are determined to turn him into a cause celebre for Trump's governing approach amid the nation's culture wars. Outside groups, including those aligned with the Heritage Foundation, are running costly campaigns to prop up Hegseth's bid.

In the audience were cadres of men wearing clothing expressing support for veterans or service in the military, but also protesters who momentarily disrupted proceedings but were removed from the room.

The Republican-led Senate is rushing to have some of Trump's picks ready to be confirmed as soon as Inauguration Day, January 20, despite potential opposition to some from both sides of the aisle. With a narrow GOP majority, they need almost all Republicans to support Trump's pick if Democrats oppose.

Hegseth faces perhaps the most difficult path to confirmation. He was forced to confront allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied, and his own comments that are far from the military mainstream.

Pressed on his opposition to diversity initiatives in the military and women serving in combat roles, Hegseth agreed that the military “was a forerunner in courageous racial integration.” But he argued that modern diversity and inclusion policies “divide” current troops and don't prioritise “meritocracy.” And Hegseth had to answer for his comments that women should “straight up” not be in combat roles in the military, a view he has softened following recent meetings with senators.

In one firery exchange, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told Hegseth: “You will have to change how you see women to do this job.” Gillibrand said of Hegseth's comments: “They are brutal, and they're mean, and they disrespect men and women” who fight for this country.

Hegseth was combative at times, and scoffed as Reed asked him to explain what a “jagoff” was. Only after further pressure from Reed did Hegseth say it was a military lawyer, a JAG officer, who “put their own priorities in front of the warfighters.” Many senators have not yet met with Hegseth and most do not have access to his FBI background check, as only committee leaders were briefed on its findings.

Reed said the background check on Hegseth was “insufficient.” It did not probe or produce new information beyond what's already in the public realm about him, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss it.

In many ways, the Hegseth hearing was following the template set during Trump's first term, when one of his choices for Supreme Court justice, Brett Kavanaugh, came under intense scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault but turned the tables on his critics and recouped to win confirmation to the high court.

“He will be ripped. He will be demeaned. He will be talked about,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., at an event with former Navy SEALs, Army special forces and Marines supporting the nominee. “But we're going to get him across the finish line.” Hegseth was largely unknown on Capitol Hill when Trump tapped him for the top Pentagon job.

A co-host of Fox News Channel's “Fox & Friends Weekend,” he had been a contributor with the network since 2014 and apparently caught the eye of the president-elect, who is an avid consumer of television and the news channel, in particular.

Hegseth attended Princeton University and served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. But he lacks senior military and national security experience.

In 2017, a woman told police that Hegseth sexually assaulted her, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and told police at the time that the encounter at a Republican women's event in California was consensual. He later paid the woman a confidential settlement to head off a potential lawsuit.

If confirmed, Hegseth would take over a military juggling an array of crises on the global stage and domestic challenges in military recruitment, retention and ongoing funding.

Besides being a key national security adviser to the president, the defence secretary oversees a massive organisation, with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of roughly USD 850 billion.

The secretary is responsible for tens of thousands of US troops deployed overseas and at sea, including in combat zones where they face attacks, such as in Syria and Iraq and in the waters around Yemen. The secretary makes all final recommendations to the president on what units are deployed, where they go and how long they stay.

The secretary's main job is to make sure the US military is ready, trained and equipped to meet any call to duty. But the secretary also must ensure that American troops are safe and secure at home, with proper housing, health care, pay and support for programs dealing with suicide, sexual assault and financial scams.

Pentagon chiefs also routinely travel across the world, meeting with international leaders on a vast range of security issues including US military aid, counterterrorism support, troop presence and global coalition building. And they play a key role at NATO as a critical partner to allies across the region. (AP) GRS GRS