WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly considering to dismiss several senior military officers as early as this week, US congressional officials said.
A list of generals and senior officers who may face removal has been circulated on Capitol Hill, officials said as cited by ABC News.
The move aligns with Hegseth’s earlier remarks about removing personnel he perceives as promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the Department of Defence (DOD).
Days before President Donald Trump nominated him to lead the Pentagon, Hegseth suggested that “woke” officials should be removed from the military.
In an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show last November, he explicitly called for purging officers associated with such policies.
“First of all, you’ve got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” he said. “But any general that was involved—general, admiral, whatever—that was involved in any of the DEI woke s*** has got to go. Either you’re in for warfighting, and that’s it. That’s the only litmus test we care about.”
However, upon assuming office, Hegseth appeared to soften his stance towards General C.Q. Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On his first day at the Pentagon, Brown welcomed him with a salute, and the two exchanged pleasantries.
When asked whether he intended to remove Brown, Hegseth responded, “I’m standing with him right now,” patting him on the shoulder. “I look forward to working with him.” It remains unclear whether Brown is on the list of officers under consideration for dismissal.
Budget cuts and policy shifts
The potential dismissals are part of broader structural changes at the Pentagon. According to ABC News, the Defence Department has submitted a separate list of probationary employees to the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management for possible termination.
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On Wednesday, acting Deputy Secretary of Defence Robert G. Salesses confirmed that Hegseth had issued a memo directing all DOD offices to redirect 8% of the budget for fiscal year 2026 and the following four years towards President Trump’s policy priorities.
“To achieve our mandate from President Trump, we are guided by his priorities, including securing our borders, building the Iron Dome for America, and ending radical and wasteful government DEI programmes,” Salesses said in a statement.
Salesses further noted that the DOD is working to reallocate up to $50 billion by cutting what he described as “low-impact and low-priority Biden-legacy programmes.”
He specified that funds would no longer be directed toward “so-called ‘climate change’ and other woke programmes, as well as excessive bureaucracy.”
“The time for preparation is over—we must act swiftly to deter current and impending threats and make the best use of taxpayers’ dollars in doing so,” he added.
