Hegseth Rejects Navy One-Star Promotions Selected by Board, Citing Merit Over DEI
Pete Hegseth removed several senior Navy officers from a promotion list to one-star admiral and four Army colonels from a brigadier general list. The moves follow earlier interventions and come after 19 senior generals or flag officers have been fired or sidelined since he took office.
thenation.comDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked the promotions to one-star admiral of several senior Navy officers who had been selected by a board of senior Navy admirals. He also removed four Army colonels from the promotion list to brigadier general. The official Navy promotion list was released by the Pentagon on May 22.
The removed Navy officers included African Americans, women, and white males, and were removed for reasons that included participation in military Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, according to sources familiar with the decisions. Hegseth had previously intervened in the Army promotion list, removing four colonels that included two African Americans and two women.
Since he became defense secretary, 19 senior generals or flag officers have been fired or sidelined, several of them women or minorities.
Hegseth also sought to place one of his senior military aides on a promotion list. Capt. Francis, a Navy SEAL serving as his assistant, could not be reviewed by the promotion board because he did not meet criteria such as heading a major command.
Secretaries of Defense have authority to intervene in promotion lists for reasons of cause. Hegseth has now acted on both the Army and Navy lists for the most recent one-star promotions. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to ABC News: "As we've said before, military promotions are given to those who have earned them.
The New York Times first reported Hegseth’s block of the promotions and the effort involving Capt. Francis. The events were reported on May 5, 2026.
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