At least 20 generals, admirals and civilian defense leaders have been fired or have departed their jobs since Pete Hegseth became defense secretary at the beginning of the second Trump administration.
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Six Army officers removed from promotion list, military firings pile up under Hegseth
Born in the tradition of military order, survived by the ranks who remain, preceded in death by the promotion list. Hegseth removes six Army officers from promotion consideration, and the military firings continue to pile up under his watch. The obituary here is not for the individuals, but for the norm: promotion as reward for service. The new standard is accountability, and accountability is measured in removals. The ceremony of advancement is replaced by the ceremony of reassignment. The ledger is written in names crossed out, not names added. The institution survives, but the tradition is buried under the paperwork. The gap between the norm and the practice is as wide as the list itself: six now, more to follow. In lieu of flowers, the list asks for stability. The stakes are the officers who remain, and the tradition that does not. This is not a casualty report; it’s a call for order. The service is over, the list is closed, and the badge is returned. Accountability is the new name on the roster. Shit, the tradition had a good run.
“You start with six officers cut, then watch the list get longer. That's not leadership, that's just turnover with a badge. The stakes are the folks who actually run things, not the ones who sign the paperwork.”
“It's about accountability! If leaders don't lead, they need to go—it's a sign of strength, not chaos. Wait, does strength look like losing your whole bench? Maybe that's not the right word. Anyway, it's definitely not chaos.”
The receipts
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spiked the names of at least six Army officers from a list for promotions to two-star generals, a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Hill Tuesday. The removals come just days after the Pentagon chief blocked promotions of four Army officers selected to ascend to…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.