Military documents obtained by The Hill provide a glimpse into Pete Buttigieg’s time as a Navy intelligence officer in Afghanistan.
thehill.com
In his book “Shortest Way Home,” Buttigieg wrote about how he expected to spend the bulk of his time as an intelligence analyst “behind a sophisticated computer terminal in a secure area.”
But out on the campaign trail, Buttigieg has talked about the 119 times he says he crossed “outside the wire,” leaving the relative safety of the base as a vehicle commander on convoy security detail in dangerous parts of Kabul.
“We learned what it is to trust one another with our lives,” Buttigieg said in his presidential launch speech.
The documents do not say anything about Buttigieg’s time outside the wire, but military officials who reviewed the documents for The Hill note that he likely did not engage in direct combat, which would have earned him a Navy combat ribbon.