Defense Secretary Attends Pentagon Meetings With Wife; Senior Officials Removed

The development coincides with the secretary's efforts to reshape the Department of Defense, including the ousting of 24 generals and senior commanders through firings or forced retirements. Approximately 60 percent of those removed are Black or female.

One recent removal involved the Navy Secretary, who reportedly clashed with the defense secretary over a federal judge's order related to a retired Navy captain and former astronaut.

The defense secretary has expanded his inner circle to include his brother, appointed as a senior advisor, and an attorney who has represented him in legal matters. Daily operations of the department, which employs about three million military and civilian personnel, have largely shifted to the Deputy Defense Secretary, a billionaire investment firm owner.

The secretary has focused on personal priority issues, such as revisions to chaplain services. He has publicly defended the personnel changes, stating during congressional testimony that prior leadership emphasized social engineering, race, and gender in ways deemed unhealthy.

>"Members on this committee and the previous leadership of this department were focused on height, social engineering, race and gender in ways that we think were unhealthy," Hegseth told lawmakers.

These shifts align with efforts to instill a 'warrior ethos' in the military, amid the U.S. role in the Iran war. The secretary has promoted successes in U.S. attacks while expressing concerns about potential dismissal. Experts have raised alarms about the changes.

A retired army major-general noted similarities to a conservative policy blueprint that advocated purging certain officers to create ideologically aligned forces. >"They want to create ideologically pure armed forces that will be pliant to the president and his secretary of defense and whose oath will be more to a person than to the constitution," Paul Eaton, a retired army major-general, told the Guardian.

A former Army colonel described the current Pentagon atmosphere as disarray, contrasting it with past professional tensions over policy disagreements. He highlighted fractures in cohesion among remaining leaders, who may fear speaking out. The Independent has sought comment from the Pentagon on the department's culture.

The removals include a case where the defense secretary sought to recall a retired officer to active duty and strip his rank, as reported by Fox News' Pentagon correspondent last month.

Among the ousted is the Navy Secretary, removed after disputes over complying with a court order and an 'illegal orders' video. The defense secretary has shown no regret over the changes, framing them as necessary corrections. The report indicates the secretary's isolation within the Pentagon has grown, with his actions drawing criticism.

Observers point to potential risks to military unity and adherence to constitutional oaths over personal loyalty.