Hegseth Purges 80 Military Leaders, Hitting 10% of Top Officer Corps
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 1
Hegseth Purges 80 Military Leaders, Hitting 10% of Top Officer Corps
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 1
Summary
More than 80 generals and admirals have been fired or had promotions blocked under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including seven Army officers picked for two-star rank, in a shake-up that has struck about 10% of the military’s top officers.
Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll recently resigned after warning President Donald Trump that Hegseth was removing combat-tested leaders, hurting modernization efforts and damaging morale in a promotion system meant to be apolitical and merit-based.
Military officials said the purge appears driven less by performance than by Hegseth’s push to install senior leaders aligned with his political and ideological views; Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called the moves normal secretary prerogatives.
The Army has been hit hardest even as the force is strained by the prolonged Iran war, missile threats in the Middle East, support for Ukraine and a scramble to catch up on drone warfare.
More than half of the affected officers are Black or female, officials said, a shift critics in Congress say is unprecedented and one that could leave the military’s top ranks even more white and male for years.