A group of military leaders has made waves by releasing a list of individuals they believe should be fired if Pete Hegseth gets confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense.
The American Accountability Foundation (AAF), composed of current and former military personnel, sent a letter to Hegseth arguing that these people are part of the entrenched bureaucracy within the Pentagon that has undermined military readiness and American values.
Hegseth has been a staunch critic of the military's management for several years. The group believes this is an opportunity to purge what it views as a woke establishment that has compromised the integrity of the nation’s military.
Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who now leads the AAF, said that the current leadership prioritizes diversity and social norms and does not focus enough on the military’s readiness and policies, such as national security. He said those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
He praised Hegseth for being vocal about being “pretty clear that [DEI] has no place in the military.”
“The woke takeover of the military is a major threat to our national security,” the letter read. “As global tensions rise, with Iran on the march, Russia at war, and China in the midst of a massive military buildup, we cannot afford to have a military distracted and demoralized by leftist ideology. Those who were responsible for these policies being instituted in the first place must be dismissed.”
To safeguard the privacy of service members, some of the names on the list will remain confidential. However, it was revealed that Navy Vice Admiral Jeffery Hughes, who spoke at the DEI summit in 2022, was on the list. Air Force Col. Ben Jonsson also made the list. In a 2020 op-ed, he demanded that his white colleagues "give a damn" and "address our blind spots around race.”
However, it is known that the list includes nine Air Force generals, seven Navy admirals across various ranks, and four Army generals. Notably, eight of the twenty individuals are women, despite females making up only 17 percent of the military. Interestingly, none of the names on the list are Marines.
Politico highlighted instances when service members complained about the Pentagon’s DEI programs. However, a defense official who spoke to Politico said senior leaders hope to discuss the issue further once Trump assumes office.
AAF doubled down on its position regarding DEI initiatives in the military, saying that “Wokeness has no place in the military.”
“Many don't want to hear this, but it's the truth: DEI in the military is going to get people killed. STOP IT NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE,” the group wrote.
Hegseth told conservative commentator Megyn Kelly that Trump told him he wanted a “warfighter” and someone who would get rid of the “woke crap.”