Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the launch of an official investigation into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, an event that remains one of the most controversial moments in recent American military history. In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Hegseth revealed that he has already selected investigators who will spearhead the effort within the Pentagon.

“We’ve already identified folks that’ll be in charge of that full investigation inside the Pentagon,” Hegseth stated on Thursday. “I don’t have a timeframe on it. Sadly, we’ve already waited two-and-a-half years, three years since what occurred. I don’t want to wait longer, but I always want to get it right.”

The sudden pullout of U.S. troops and embassy personnel from Afghanistan in July of 2021 led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in a suicide bombing at Kabul International Airport’s Abbey Gate. In the aftermath, hundreds of American citizens were left behind despite the administration’s claims of a successful evacuation. The U.S. military conducted a retaliatory strike intended to prevent further attacks, but instead, it mistakenly killed an Afghan aid worker and his family. Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley initially defended the action as a “righteous strike.”

Despite these failures, no senior leaders faced consequences. The only individual who suffered professional repercussions was Marine Col. Stuart Scheller, who criticized military leadership in a viral video demanding accountability. As a result, he lost his career but was later appointed by President Donald Trump as a senior adviser to the Defense Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness.

Hegseth has vowed to change the lack of accountability. “The way you establish real accountability is by establishing real fact chains — chains of events, information, what happened. Why did it happen? Who made the decision? What was the reason they made that decision? Why did they give advice or not give advice? Why did they execute an order a certain way? Did they speak up when they were supposed to or not?” he said.

The defense secretary emphasized the need for an honest and thorough review of the withdrawal. “I don’t think there’s anybody that feels like there’s been an honest accounting of what happened in Afghanistan. That’s our job,” he stated.

Hegseth reaffirmed that accountability will be pursued. “We’re going to drive that full investigation and get a sense of what happened. And as I stated to the workforce on Friday, I guess less than a week ago, accountability will be coming for what happened in Afghanistan, and that’s important to reestablishing trust at the Defense Department.”