The Pentagon pointed to the IG's conclusion that Hegseth had the authority to declassify the strike information as an exoneration.
Democrats who were also briefed and saw video of the survivors being killed questioned the Trump administration’s rationale.
An Air Force squadron commander who led a history-making deployment to the Middle East was presented with the military’s third-highest combat award.
In his new role, Lt. Gen. Dale White will oversee many of the Air Force's biggest ― and, in some cases, most troubled ― programs.
