Hegseth on Tuesday cited the "fog of war" in defending the follow-up strike.
The White House acknowledges that a second strike was ordered on a boat already hit by the military in the Caribbean Sea.
Members of the U.S. military have the legal right to refuse orders they believe are unlawful, but they risk violating military laws of obedience if the order is in fact lawful, experts in military law say.
A flood of red, white and blue filled the streets of Downtown Fresno on Tuesday at the 106th Central Valley Veterans Day Parade.
Two Navy aircraft from California-based squadrons crashed in the South China Sea during operations from USS Nimitz. All five crew members were rescued safely.