WASHINGTON, United States — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has intervened in the promotion process for more than a dozen senior military officers, raising concerns within the Pentagon and the White House that some decisions may be influenced by race, gender, or perceived ties to previous administration policies.
According to multiple U.S. officials familiar with the process, Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions affecting Black and female officers across the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.
The officials said the unprecedented level of involvement by a defense secretary has unsettled traditional procedures designed to ensure merit-based advancement.
“There is not a single service that has been immune to this level of involvement by Hegseth,” one U.S. official said, describing the interventions as widespread across all branches.
Two officials said concerns have emerged within both the military and the White House that qualified officers may be facing stalled promotions due to their race or gender, as Hegseth targets diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives introduced during the previous administration.
Others said some officers perceived to be aligned with policies of former President Joe Biden or senior officials could also be under scrutiny.
The controversy follows the abrupt removal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who was asked to step down despite having more than a year remaining in his four-year term.
Officials said George had sought a meeting with Hegseth to discuss blocked promotions affecting some Army officers, including women and Black candidates, but the meeting did not take place.
Hegseth has publicly criticised DEI policies and previously declared an end to what he described as “woke” culture within the Defense Department. He has argued that promotions should be based strictly on merit and has accused the military of prioritising diversity considerations in advancement decisions.
Officials noted, however, that not all promotions involving women or racial minority officers have been halted.
Defense Department and White House officials did not respond to requests for comment, while military branches referred inquiries to the Pentagon.
Sources said factors cited for removing some officers from promotion lists include past support for COVID-19 vaccination policies, association with DEI programmes, or perceived alignment with former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, who has previously clashed with former President Donald Trump.
In recent weeks, Hegseth blocked promotions involving three Marine officers — two women and a Black officer — despite recommendations from Marine Corps leadership and no ongoing investigations into their conduct. Officials said efforts by senior Marine leaders to intervene were unsuccessful.
A list of naval officers selected for promotion to one-star admiral has also reportedly remained pending for more than a month, while several Air Force candidates were removed from promotion lists at the direction of Hegseth’s office.
Under standard procedure, each military branch convenes promotion boards to review candidates and submit recommendations. The lists then move through the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the defense secretary’s office, the White House, and finally the Senate for confirmation.
Defense secretaries rarely remove names unless there are disciplinary concerns or ongoing investigations.
Officials said some candidates removed from recent lists had no open investigations, raising questions about the basis for the decisions.
“If there are no open allegations or investigations, what was the reason they were removed from the list?” one official said. “They have all deployed and done their jobs, and all are combat-tested.”
Data from the Defense Department shows that about 80pc of active-duty personnel are male, with roughly 67pc identifying as white and 18pc as Black. Among officers, about 74pc are white, and roughly 9pc are Black.
A retired senior military officer warned that intervention in the promotion system without a clear justification risks undermining confidence in the process.
“Our officer corps trusts our promotion process,” the retired officer said. “Intervention without explanation will cast a shadow across our officer corps and risk politicising careers.”
