Here are the military and civilian leaders who've been fired, forced out or resigned since Hegseth became defense secretary

September 1, 2026 / 9:43 PM EDT / CBS News

Here are the military and civilian leaders who've been fired, forced out or resigned since Hegseth became defense secretary

TL;DR

  • At least 20 generals, admirals, and civilian defense leaders have been fired or have departed since Pete Hegseth became defense secretary.
  • High-ranking officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have been among those ousted.
  • Hegseth had previously criticized military officers for focusing on diversity initiatives and for not being sufficiently supportive of frontline service members.
  • Black and female officers have been disproportionately removed from promotion lists, and there are currently no active four-star women generals or admirals.
  • Some officials were ousted over suspected leaking to the media, while others clashed with Hegseth over strategic direction and modernization efforts.