Chaos again at the Pentagon; Does Trump even know what's going on?

According to the newspaper, Hegseth reportedly takes into account officers’ race and gender when making promotion decisions, as well as their ties to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from the administration of former President Joe Biden and assessments of their loyalty.

The identities of the nine officers whose promotions were blocked have not been disclosed.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Hegseth has blocked or delayed promotions in the Army and the Navy.

Promised to remove “woke” generals

Upon taking charge of the Pentagon, Hegseth announced that he would remove what he called “woke” admirals and generals.

He also argued that the Biden administration had promoted some senior officers in order to meet diversity goals rather than solely on merit.

Since his confirmation last year, more than 20 generals and admirals have reportedly been dismissed or sidelined.

Among them were General Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.

Pentagon: Promotions are based on merit

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the allegations and stated that promotions in the U.S. military are based exclusively on merit.

“The Pentagon will never consider a service member’s race or gender as a factor in promotions,” Parnell said.

Under U.S. law, only the President of the United States can remove an officer from a promotion list. The Secretary of Defense may recommend such an action, but must do so in writing to the president.

The Wall Street Journal notes that it is unclear whether Hegseth followed the prescribed procedure in this case.