In a series of unexpected moves, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has dismissed several top military officials, including Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore, Chief of the Navy Reserve, and Rear Admiral Milton "Jamie" Sands, Commander of Naval Special Operations Command.
This follows the earlier dismissal of Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse from the Defense Intelligence Agency, as reported by RedState.
The U.S. Naval Institute confirmed the dismissals, stating, Effective immediately, Rear Adm. Milton Jamie Sands III will no longer serve as commander, Naval Special Warfare Command. Effective immediately, Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore will no longer serve as the chief of Navy Reserve. These abrupt changes in the military's senior leadership signal Hegseth's intent to reshape the institution.
While the specific reasons for the dismissals of Admirals Lacore and Sands remain undisclosed, the context suggests some possible explanations. Kruse's dismissal was reportedly linked to his decision to release a low-confidence assessment of Operation Midnight Hammer, which claimed that Iran's nuclear infrastructure was largely undamaged.
This move was seen as either a gross political miscalculation or deliberate sabotage, given the operation's political sensitivity.
There are indications that Admiral Lacore's dismissal may be connected to her perceived lack of support for Hegseth's agenda. A tweet from a long-time acquaintance of the Admiral, @cdrsalamander, suggested that Lacore's actions indicated either a poor ability to anticipate requirements or a reaction to the cancellation of a favored program, DEI.
The tweet read, "Either VADM Nancy Lacore, Chief of the Navy Reserve, is being exceptionally ill-served by her staff, or is having a hissy fit. This is an either-or proposition."
The reasons behind Admiral Sands' dismissal are less clear, but speculation points to two potential issues: the alleged indiscipline among deployed SEAL Teams or a disagreement over a DEI initiative aimed at increasing inclusivity within the SEAL Teams.
These dismissals are part of a broader trend of high-profile firings and retirements within the military. In February, Hegseth and President Trump dismissed several top military leaders, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles CQ Brown Jr., Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and the Air Forces second in command, Gen. James Slife. Other dismissals have included the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and the head of U.S. Cyber Command.
Most recently, USAF Chief of Staff David Allvin announced his retirement halfway through his four-year term. Reports suggest that Allvin had intended to push forward with a service-wide reorganization of the Air Force, dubbed Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition. However, this plan was met with disapproval from Hegseth, who reportedly gave Allvin the option to resign or be dismissed.
Hegseth's readiness to dismiss high-ranking officials without immediate replacements suggests a departure from traditional institutional processes. It also sends a clear message that these departures are not voluntary, reinforcing Hegseth's commitment to reshaping the military's senior leadership.
This series of dismissals underscores the Secretary of Defense's determination to implement his agenda, even if it means challenging established norms and expectations within the military hierarchy.
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