Defense Secretary Blocks 40 Senior Officer Promotions This Year

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotions of at least 40 senior officers to general and admiral ranks this year. About half of those officers are women or members of minority groups.

The Navy’s top leadership considered Rear Adm. Stephen D. Barnett the best candidate to lead the command that oversees Navy bases at home and abroad. Barnett, a Black officer, had managed the aftermath of a fuel spill that contaminated an aquifer on a base in Hawaii and sickened thousands.

Navy officials believed he had more experience than other candidates. Hegseth selected a white officer who ranked third on the Navy’s list instead. The final decision on Barnett’s promotion came this spring.

Barnett is expected to retire. Hegseth’s office used a secret vetting process that flagged officers who had supported diversity efforts. Barnett’s years-old remarks on recruiting and retaining minority officers were cited during that review.

The process examined candidates for reasons unrelated to job performance or warfighting ability. ” The reporting is based on interviews with 15 current and former military and administration officials. A Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to questions about the blocked promotions.

Barnett declined to comment.