Hegseth Pentagon Purge of Senior Military Officers
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or forced out more than a dozen senior military officers since taking office, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. The purge, framed as removing "woke" generals and restoring a "warrior ethos," has drawn bipartisan concern — particularly after the firing of Gen. George in April 2026 during the active U.S.-Iran conflict. Five former defense secretaries condemned the firings as "reckless" in a joint letter to Congress.
military
pentagon
hegseth