On 21 February, US President Donald Trump removed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and five other senior military officials. This decision marked a major shake-up in Pentagon leadership.
General CQ Brown, who had served as Chairman since 2023 under President Joe Biden, lost his position. Trump announced the change on his social media platform, Truth Social. Brown, the second Black officer to hold the role, had expected to serve until September 2027.
The Pentagon confirmed that Trump will nominate retired Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine as Brown’s replacement. Caine, a former F-16 fighter pilot, previously worked as Associate Director of Military Affairs at the CIA.
Widespread leadership changes at the Pentagon
Along with Brown, Trump replaced Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead a military branch, and General Jim Slife, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He also dismissed the top legal officers of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Slife, a former leader of the Air Force Special Operations Command, had experience in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
These changes align with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s effort to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes from the military. Hegseth stated that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will identify and eliminate such initiatives at the Pentagon.
DOGE will “remove redundancies and Biden-era policies,” Hegseth explained. “These programmes are not essential to our mission and must go.”
Trump appointed SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to lead DOGE. Musk’s cost-cutting measures have already resulted in mass job cuts, triggering legal challenges.
Pentagon prepares for civilian job cuts
The Pentagon now faces large-scale reductions in its civilian workforce. Hegseth announced a major budget overhaul earlier this week.
The first round of job cuts will begin next week. Darin Selnick, acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, stated that at least 5% of civilian positions will be eliminated. The cuts will target employees hired under Biden’s administration.
“We expect to reduce the civilian workforce by 5-8% to boost efficiency and focus on the president’s priorities,” Selnick said.
The Pentagon plans to dismiss about 5,400 probationary employees. A hiring freeze will follow as officials reassess staffing needs.
In a video message before the announcement, Hegseth said, “It is not in the public interest to keep employees whose work is not mission-critical.”
Political reactions and implications
Trump did not explain why he dismissed Brown but thanked him for his service.
“I appreciate General Brown’s 40 years of service, including his time as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader. I wish him and his family the best,” Trump stated.
Brown previously voiced support for Black Lives Matter after the 2020 death of George Floyd. This stance made him a target in the administration’s crackdown on what it calls “woke” influences in the military.
Before leading the Pentagon, Hegseth questioned Brown’s appointment. In a book published last year, he suggested Brown may have been chosen due to his race.
Democratic Representative Adam Smith criticised the dismissals, calling them a “Friday night massacre” that would destabilise the Pentagon.
“General Brown is intelligent, accomplished, and a true patriot,” Smith said. “That wasn’t enough for Trump, who prioritised loyalty over competence and commitment to the Constitution.”
Smith warned that the decision could weaken national security. “Trump’s actions play into the hands of Vladimir Putin and others who seek to exploit our vulnerabilities,” he said.
