Hegseth stopped promotions of Black and female soldiers : NPR
npr.org • • nation
Key Points:
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth intervened to block the promotions of four Army officers, including two Black and two female soldiers poised to become one-star generals, according to multiple U.S. officials.
- Hegseth has been reportedly removing senior officers considered ideologically incompatible, marking an unusual interference in the standard military promotion process.
- Prior to his appointment, Hegseth criticized the military for being "woke" and suggested diversity efforts weakened the force, and since taking office, he has overseen significant Pentagon restructuring including firing top-ranking officers such as Gen. CQ Brown and Adm. Lisa Franchetti without public explanation.
- The Pentagon denied the allegations, with spokesman Sean Parnell calling the reports "fake news" and asserting that promotions under Hegseth are based solely on meritocracy, which is apolitical and unbiased.
