On Friday, US President Donald Trump announced the dismissal of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles K. Brown, as well as five other high-ranking military officers. This was reported by Reuters.
Trump announced that he would nominate retired Lieutenant General Dan “Razen” Kane to replace Brown, breaking with the tradition of appointing a serving military officer to the post.
The Pentagon’s leadership will be affected by the changes:
- Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to hold this position, is the Commander-in-Chief of the US Navy.
- Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Air Force.
- Chief Military Lawyers of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The resignation of Brown, whom Trump had criticised during the election campaign, was an unprecedented event for the US armed forces, as his term of office was due to expire in 2027.
This massive personnel purge could cause turbulence in the Pentagon, which is already preparing for massive civilian staff cuts and a review of the defence budget as part of the America First policy.
Trump has previously repeatedly stated his intention to get rid of the “woke” generals and military personnel responsible for the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021. However, the president has not publicly explained the reasons for this decision.
This is the largest personnel reshuffle in the Pentagon in decades, which could change US military policy.
