Hegseth directed schools to rank applicants by an aggregate score factoring in athletic ability and past military experience, among other qualifications.
The cases set the legal tone for thousands more military families and civilians suing over a 2021 jet fuel leak into a Navy drinking water system on Oahu.
The incident, in which the pilots were safely recovered, marks the third time since December that an F/A-18 assigned to the carrier Truman has been lost.