War Secretary Pete Hegseth drew international criticism after taking an action that many view as reflecting prejudice and discrimination in the armed forces. However, the Pentagon stands by his decision, claiming that his choices were made based on meritocracy and not due to race or gender.
On a list of nominees for one-star admirals, Hegseth removed 9 of the 31, leaving a majority white and all-male list. Of the three female and 4 Black officers on the list, only two Black males were remaining on the submitted list. Critics are drawing connections to President Trump’s aversion to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs that some believe make diversity a criterion while hiring, discriminating in an effort to have a more diverse workforce, rather than simply who is the better hire. The Guardian described how Hegseth, in the previous year, decided to “block promotions or redeploy senior military officers, 60% of them women or Black”. According to a US official cited by NPR, the officers removed from the list were “ideologically incompatible”
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Before this incident, Hegseth fired both Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and Adm. Lisa Franchetti. Brown was the second African American to hold that position, and Franchetti was the first woman to hold the highest uniformed position in the Navy. In neither of their cases was a public statement given as to the reason for their being fired. However, prior to Hegseth being assigned as Secretary of War, he had written a book, The War on Warriors, which questioned whether his position was given to him because he had earned it or because of his race.
Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that he would be looking into allegations of whether these removals were unfair and discriminatory. Reed said in a statement that “If these reports are accurate, Secretary Hegseth’s decision to remove four decorated officers from a promotion list after having been selected by their peers for their merit and performance is not only outrageous, it would be illegal.
Although both political parties clash on numerous issues, such as the War in Iran, the SAVE America Act, and how the Education Department is being handled, Hegseth’s war against ‘wokeness’ in the armed forces remains an integral conflict shaping America’s military composition and representing the government’s philosophy toward the country.