Reporting from earlier this week suggested that our self-described “Secretary of War,” who has ties to white Christian nationalists, has been purging female and Black personnel from the upper ranks of the service.
Messaging out of the Pentagon claims that these purges are intended to create a “meritocracy,” where only the best advance.
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If that were true, how do you explain Pete Hegseth, the least qualified, least competent Secretary of Defense in history (arguably, of course)? By some estimates, officers of color and women are ~43% of the 1.3 million U.S. troops. And roughly 60% of the senior officers Hegseth has fired or sidelined are female or Black. He has fired or sidelined nearly three dozen senior officers since taking office.
It’s hard for someone like retired Navy Commander Bobby Jones, an expert in his field with decades of experience in well-earned leadership positions, to sit quietly with. And in this episode of Anchor Watch, sitting quietly is not something he was able to do.
He’s right to be pissed off. We should feel a mix of anger and mourning over the direction our military — and our country — is heading.
Watch this week’s Anchor Watch and leave your thoughts in the comments.
