Published Jun 9, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
The ceremony included a Medal of Honor honoree.
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Published Jun 9, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saw for himself a future glimpse of the American military when he recently addressed more than 150 high school seniors set to join the service. The June 4 ceremony, which took place in Washington D.C. at the Capitol’s Chamber of Commerce building, was hosted by Our Community Salutes (OCS), a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 to recognize seniors who plan to enlist in the military following graduation. Hegseth praised current U.S. military retention and enlistment numbers as part of the 'Hiring Our Heroes' event. “Over the past 18 years, we have honored over 260,000 young Americans across the country,” Dr. Kenneth Hartman, an Army veteran who founded OCS, told Military.com Last week’s event was the last of many OCS ceremonies this year honoring enlisted seniors. Hartman said the event also celebrated the United States' 250th anniversary with a nod to the past, present and future of the nation’s military. “If it wasn’t for their counterparts in 1776, we would not be celebrating our nation's 250th birthday in July,” Hartman said. Along with Hegseth, the event featured special guest Salvatore Giunta, a former U.S. Army staff sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient.
