Pete Buttigieg has publicly documented Navy Reserve service from 2009 to 2017, including a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014 as a naval intelligence officer. His military record shows he was honorably discharged in 2017, and reporting during and after his campaign highlighted aspects of his service such as trips outside secure zones and his unit’s work, though there was debate over how to characterize the scope of his combat experience. For the latest developments, I can look up current outlets if you’d like.
Cited background:
Pete Buttigieg is leaning hard on his seven-month deployment as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan as a powerful credential, but the Democratic presidential candidate is walking a narrow path between giving his service its due and overstating it
www.ksat.com'Mr. Buttigieg skipped all that—no obstacle courses, no weapons training, no evaluation of his ability or willingness to lead'
www.independent.co.ukThe United States Navy Lieutenant and veteran of the War in Afghanistan was elected in 2011.
www.military.comFor years, the party has pushed for lackluster military candidates and a "camouflage wave." In 2020, many veterans on the left have different ideas.
newrepublic.comBefore he was a Democratic presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg was the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and before that, he
www.politifact.comPart of Pete Buttigieg's role in Afghanistan included serving as an "Uber" driving, shuffling officers through dangerous terrain.
abcnews.go.comA seven-month deployment in Afghanistan shrouded in secrecy is a key piece of Pete Buttigieg’s pitch to voters in the 2020 presidential race, with the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor arguing that his status as a veteran and his time in a war zone give him foreign policy gravitas and first-hand military experience none of his Democratic primary rivals can claim.
www.washingtontimes.comIn his first Iowa television ad, he holds a rifle and points it toward the rubble at his feet, introducing himself, 'As a veteran ... .'
www.voanews.com