Hegseth's Firing Campaign Reaches Down Into the Ranks

"The issue was not that Butler was incompetent in his job; quite the opposite. Both Driscoll and the Army's chief of staff, General Randy George, are said to have valued his advice, experience, and the reforms that he initiated-and it was their endorsement, when combined with Butler's previous assignment with Milley, that ruined his chance of making the rank of general."

"Defense secretaries don't usually get involved in decisions about the careers of colonels and other mid-level commanders, given that the lead civilian in the Pentagon is supposed to oversee war planning, a department of 3 million people, and America's nuclear arsenal. Ever since the World War I era, when the United States established a large-scale standing force, individual branches have typically had a say in promotions and other personnel decisions. These choices are supposed to be based on merit."

"Hegseth, more than any other of his predecessors, has weighed in on the makeup of the military's top leaders. He has fired or sidelined dozens of three- and four-star officers, in many cases without any clear reason other than their perceived disloyalty to Hegseth's beliefs, alleged support for diversity programs, or coziness with people regarded as foes of the administration."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth intervened to remove Colonel Dave Butler from his Army public affairs position despite Butler's competence and endorsement from senior Army leaders. Butler's previous assignment with General Mark Milley, combined with endorsements from Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff General Randy George, undermined his promotion prospects. Defense secretaries historically defer to service branches on colonel-level personnel decisions, which are meant to be merit-based. Hegseth has frequently weighed in on senior military appointments and has fired or sidelined numerous generals for perceived disloyalty, diversity support, or ties to administration critics, and his actions have extended into lower ranks.

Read at The Atlantic