Hegseth blocks promotions of four US Army officers — The Hill
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotions of four US Army officers selected to receive one-star general rank. Some of them have ties to generals whom the Pentagon chief removed earlier this year, The Hill reports.
Ties to removed generals
A US official who spoke to the publication on condition of anonymity said that some officers on the list had ties to former US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, whom Hegseth removed in April, as well as Gen. Chris Donahue. Donahue commanded US Army forces in Europe and Africa before being removed from his post in June.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that military promotions go to those who have earned them and that this approach will not change under Hegseth's tenure.
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Previous personnel decisions
As The Hill and other media previously reported, Hegseth also intervened in the selection process this year and removed four Army officers — two women and two Black men — from the list for one-star general rank. The decision upset Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and representatives of other branches of the armed forces.
Hegseth's allies argued that the Pentagon does not take into account service members' skin color or gender. At the same time, the defense chief blocked the promotions of US Air Force and Navy officers. Retired Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, who previously served as assistant to the deputy chief of staff of the US Air Force, called such actions unjustified and unprecedented, saying they do not contribute to proper order and discipline in the military ranks.
Since George's removal, the US Army has had no Senate-confirmed chief of staff. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, a former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and former military adviser to Hegseth, is performing the duties of the position.
