Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked at least seven officers from being promoted to one-star admirals, in what appears to be his latest move against diversity initiatives in the US military. The block targeted at least two women, two Black men and three white men, according to four unnamed current and former defence officials cited by The New York Times.
The Wall Street Journal later reported that eight Navy captains had been denied promotions and that Hegseth was also attempting to prevent several one-star admirals from advancing. The moves come just days after Hegseth gave a speech at West Point in which he attacked previous leaders as “woke and weak” and declared, “Diversity is not our strength. Unity is our strength.”
In response to inquiries, the Navy declined to comment, referring to the Pentagon. Chief spokesman Sean Parnell stated: “Military promotions are given to those who have earned them. The Department will never consider the colour of a service member's skin or their gender as a factor in promotions.” He added, “The Failing New York Times continues to push this worn out narrative because they view almost everything through the lens of race and gender over merit.”
Since his confirmation, Hegseth has blocked or fired at least two dozen admirals and generals. In February, he fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first female chief of naval operations, and recommended the removal of General Charles “CQ” Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In March, he removed two Black men and two women from a list of Army officers slated for promotion to one-star general.
The latest blocked promotions leave 22 nominees on a publicly released list, which appears to include only two non-white officers, despite about 38 per cent of Navy personnel identifying as racial minorities. Women make up about 21 per cent of the Navy, but none are on the list. Current and former officials said the officers struck from the list were apparently targeted because of involvement in diversity-related events years ago.
