President-elect Donald Trump has announced several picks for the cabinet under his administration. Here in Military City USA, Trump's pick for the Secretary of Defense caught the attention of area veterans.

Here in Military City USA, Trump's pick for the Secretary of Defense caught the attention of area veterans.

He named Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth as the new secretary of defense for his upcoming presidential term. This choice catching many Americans off guard.

"Should we be surprised?" Jeffrey Addicott asked. "I mean, President Trump is not exactly a mainstream political candidate. He never has been. He's outside the mainstream."

Addicott is a lawyer and retired Lieutenant Colonel for the US Army who currently teaches law at Saint Mary's University. He said Hegseth's appointment is unusual.

"Usually, Secretary of Defense is a three-star, four-star general that's been at all the levels of command," he explained. "They've worked their way up from the bottom all the way at the top...Pete Hegseth is a fine American, a great individual, a great veteran; I think a lot of people question whether this is over his head. It's like, if you could drive a Ford pickup truck, great. Here's the keys to an 18-wheeler."

Despite this, Addicott said this choice could be a much-needed refresher to the armed forces.

"I think primarily that reason is his emphasis on getting the military back to doing what it traditionally has done," he explained. "We don't want to emphasize diversity. We want to emphasize green. As we used to say when I was the military, we all bleed green."

Retired Army General Freddie Valenzuela said he knows Hegseth personally and, while he may be young, his qualities are what will make him successful.

"Yes, he's not a former general, he's not a former congressman, a congresswoman," Valenzuela acknowledged. "But you know what? This guy's not a dummy. This guy follows orders, and he's very loyal, and he's trustworthy."

As a veteran, he said the American people should give all new appointees a shot before they come to judgements.

"If they believe in this country like, I think they are," Valenzuela said. "Like, I think any cabinet member, even under the previous administration, if the country is number one, I mean, if that's the priority, then I think that's the main quality. It's all about character and reputation."