PNN – The Guardian newspaper reported that many military officials consider the performance of the US Secretary of War to be a threat.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the Guardian newspaper wrote in a critical report on the state of the US Department of War that the Pentagon has reached a stage of internal turmoil after a wave of widespread dismissals and purges, and many military officials consider the performance of Pete Hegsett, the Trump administration’s Secretary of War, a threat to the cohesion of the US military.
The report says that since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January last year, Hegsett has fired or forced into retirement 24 generals and senior commanders, without giving a clear reason for their actions. According to the Guardian, about 60 percent of those removed were black or women, a move that critics see as part of the Trump administration’s assault on diversity and equality policies.
The Guardian notes that many of the officers removed have had distinguished careers. The most recent was the US Army Chief of Staff, General Randy George, who was reportedly removed after he objected to an order to remove four black and female officers from the promotion list.
The process began in February last year with the removal of General C.Q. Brown, the US Army’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown, the first black man to hold the position, was replaced by Dan Keene, a general who some observers say lacked the experience needed for the position.
Among the female officials removed is Lisa Franchetti, the first female chief of naval operations and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Guardian, citing inside sources, wrote that Hegsett has become increasingly isolated within the vast Pentagon structure, with a small circle of friends and family members surrounding him. According to the sources, his wife attends some official meetings, his brother has been appointed a senior adviser, and several other close figures are also in the decision-making circle.
The report also says that the day-to-day running of the Ministry of Defense, which has 2.1 million military personnel and 770,000 civilian employees, is effectively the responsibility of the deputy defense secretary, with Hegsett focusing more on ideological and personal matters.
The Guardian, citing military experts, warned that the purges are in line with the goals of Project 2025, a plan that calls for the removal of so-called “vok” officers and the creation of a military more obedient to the president.
Retired US Army General Paul Eaton, in an interview with the Guardian, compared the process to the Stalinist purges and said: The high command of the US military has been seriously damaged. He warned that a climate of fear and silence among commanders could undermine the military’s operational capacity.
In concluding this report, the Guardian, citing former Pentagon officials, wrote that the gap between political and military leadership existed in the past, but was managed with order and professionalism. Now, however, the situation, they said, is “complete chaos.”