More than six decades after the last U.S. military execution, the Army is preparing for a possible new execution.
President Donald Trump has approved the execution of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad.
The decision follows a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Army secretary will set the date and location. The execution has not yet taken place.
Hasan has been on military death row since his 2013 conviction for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas. The attack killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
Trump Approves the Military Execution
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the decision on October 5. He said Hegseth had recommended death by U.S. Army firing squad and Trump had approved it.
The decision starts the process for a military execution that could become the first since 1961. That year, the Army executed Pvt. John Bennett by hanging at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The Army’s legal journal said in May that Hegseth had asked Trump in September 2025 to approve Hasan’s execution. The process still required further legal steps at that time.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Hasan’s petition for review on March 31, 2025. His death sentence therefore remained in place.
The 2009 Fort Hood Attack
Hasan was an Army psychiatrist at Fort Hood, a major U.S. military installation in Texas.
On November 5, 2009, he opened fire at a facility where soldiers were undergoing medical processing before overseas deployment. Thirteen people died. Twelve were active-duty soldiers, while one was a retired servicemember.
The military later convicted Hasan of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. A military jury sentenced him to death in August 2013.
Hasan was shot and wounded by a civilian police officer during the attack. He survived and was later transferred to the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth.
Why the Execution Would Be Historic
The U.S. military has not carried out a death sentence since Bennett’s execution in 1961.
Trump’s approval does not mean that Hasan will be executed immediately. The Army secretary must first determine the time and place.
Hasan can also continue to seek relief through the courts. The Army’s legal journal notes that federal habeas proceedings can affect the timetable for a military execution.
If the execution takes place, it will mark the return of the U.S. military death penalty after more than 65 years.
For now, the key development is the presidential approval. The execution itself remains a future step.
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