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A storm at the Pentagon: More than 20 generals and senior officials leave under Hegseth
🇬🇷 Greece /Conflict & Security

A storm at the Pentagon: More than 20 generals and senior officials leave under Hegseth

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • At least 20 senior military and political officials have left or been removed from the US Defense Department since Pete Hegseth became secretary of defense.
  • The departures include senior Army, Navy and Air Force officers, as well as leaders of major military units.
  • The article links some dismissals to criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and others to suspected media leaks, while a source says Dan Driscoll raised concerns about the loss of officers involved in Army modernization.

More than 20 generals, admirals and senior civilian officials have been removed from or left the Pentagon since Pete Hegseth took over as US defense secretary at the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term, according to a CBS News report.

Among those affected are some of the most experienced and decorated officers in the US armed forces. Hegseth and Trump dismissed some, while others retired without clear explanations. The departures have reached the senior ranks of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the leadership of important military units.

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have become one target of the shake-up. Before becoming defense secretary, Hegseth repeatedly criticized senior officers for placing too much emphasis on DEI programs and for failing to support troops serving on the front lines. In a podcast before his nomination, he said that “every general, admiral, or anyone else” involved in what he called “woke” DEI initiatives should be removed.

The Trump administration has since removed senior Black and female officers from key positions. A source familiar with promotion lists said those groups had been disproportionately excluded from promotion selections. There is currently no active-duty female four-star general or admiral in the US armed forces, and many officers who were not promoted have already left the military.

Other senior officers reportedly lost their positions over suspicions that they leaked information to the media. The upheaval has also affected civilian leadership. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned this week after, according to a source familiar with the reasons, expressing concern about the removal of generals responsible for planning and transforming the Army for the demands of next-generation warfare.

every general, admiral, or anyone else

— Pete HegsethHegseth used the phrase in a podcast while arguing that officials involved in what he called “woke” DEI initiatives should be removed.
About this summary

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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