Major Changes in Military Leadership Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Since Pete Hegseth assumed the role of defense secretary at the start of the second Trump administration, over 20 generals, admirals, and civilian defense leaders have been let go or have left their positions. This reshuffle includes some of the military’s most decorated leaders, with the removal of top-ranking officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as key unit leaders.

Before his nomination, Hegseth publicly criticized military leaders, accusing them of focusing excessively on diversity initiatives rather than supporting frontline service members. He expressed intentions to remove generals and admirals involved in such initiatives. Reports suggest that female and Black officers have been disproportionately removed from promotion lists, reflecting a push against top officers who were Black and female. Currently, there are no active female four-star generals or admirals in the military.

Hegseth’s tenure has seen tensions with top officials, leading to resignations such as that of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. A source revealed Driscoll’s apprehensions about Hegseth’s removal of generals involved in modernizing Army warfare tactics for future conflicts.

CBS News military leaders who have left during Hegseth’s leadership include:

• Air Force General Charles Q. Brown: Trump fired Brown abruptly, despite his significant experience, including over 3,100 flight hours as a fighter pilot. Brown was the second Black general to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti: As the first woman on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Franchetti was relieved of her duties the same day Brown was fired.
• General James Slife: Slife served as Air Force vice chief of staff prior to his removal. He held key roles in special operations aviation.
• General Randy George: The Army chief of staff retired prematurely in April, with Hegseth requesting his departure.
• General David Allvin: Previously vice chief of staff for the Air Force, Allvin retired early without a stated reason.
• Army Lieutenant General Joseph B. Berger III: Removed alongside Lieutenant General Charles Plummer of the Air Force, which followed a call for fresh leadership for legal affairs.
• Admiral Alvin Holsey: Retired as head of U.S. Southern Command after launching strategic initiatives in South America.
• General Christopher Donahue: Known for his role during the Afghanistan withdrawal, Donahue was forced into early retirement.
• Air Force General Timothy Haugh: Former NSA director, Haugh was dismissed in April 2025 after accusations of disloyalty from Trump ally Laura Loomer.
• Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse: Ousted as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency after controversial assessment leaks about Iran.
• Air Force Lieutenant General Jennifer Short: Served as senior military assistant to the defense secretary before her departure.
• Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield: Relieved in April 2025 due to loss of confidence concerns.
• Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore: Head of Navy Reserve, relieved without a public reason.
• Rear Admiral Milton Sands: Head of Naval Special Warfare Command, removed alongside Lacore.
• General David Hodne: Led Army Transformation and training; terminated for unspecified reasons.
• Major General William Green: Head of Army Chaplain Corps; terminated amid restructuring efforts.

Civilian leaders also saw significant changes:

• John Phelan: Navy Secretary’s departure cited conflicts over shipbuilding efforts.
• Dan Driscoll: Resigned as Army Secretary, expressing concerns over military modernization fallout.
• Joe Kasper: Hegseth’s chief of staff, shifted roles amidst a leak investigation.
• Colin Carroll: Senior adviser, dismissed alongside Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick amid leak probe.
• John Ullyot: Spokesperson left his role, faced criticism for diversity initiative efforts removal.

Currently, the administration under Hegseth is managing contentious shifts in military leadership, aiming for structural changes across departments. This reshuffle reflects the administration’s drive to enforce significant transformations while attempting to align military operations more closely with its strategic priorities.