Today, the Secretary of War and the President addressed all one-star and above flag and general officers. They were from all branches and duty locations. Attendance was mandatory at the meeting.
Flying them all in was paid for courtesy of your tax dollars. Publicly announcing the meeting well before it happened was not the most “security minded” decision. Revealing the meeting and its mandatory attendance was risky. It mentioned that all the officers would be leaving their posts, some from combat arenas. All officers would be in one place at the same time. This was an open invitation for potential action against our troops and those in leadership.
Sharing intelligence details is troublesome for me. Why take the risk?
I have thoughts about some of the points of the meeting.
Current military policy, including at the service academies, explicitly forbids race-based goals or quotas in admissions and personnel decisions.
The National Defense Authorization Act of 1994 prohibits the use of gender quotas. This applies to any military occupation open to both men and women.
Since January 2025, the current administration has removed several high-ranking female officers from their positions in the U.S. military. The reasons for these dismissals were widely reported in early to mid-2025. This sparked controversy. There were concerns about the military’s future leadership.
Admiral Linda Fagan:
The first woman to serve as Commandant of the Coast Guard was fired on January 21, 2025. This was President’s first day in office. A Homeland Security official said she was terminated because she didn’t tackle border security threats. She also allowed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to divert resources from operational imperatives.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti:
The Secretary of War fired the first female Chief of Naval Operations in late February 2025. No official explanation was given for her removal. Nonetheless, he later described her as a “DEI hire” and claimed she was unqualified in his book.
Lieutenant General Jennifer Short:
The senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense was fired in late February 2025. This occurred around the same time as Franchetti. Like Franchetti, no official reason was given for her removal.
Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield:
The U.S. representative to the NATO Military Committee was fired on April 7, 2025. A Pentagon spokesperson said she was removed due to a “loss of confidence” in her leadership. Some reports suggest her firing was tied to her support for diversity initiatives.
Context and broader concerns
These firings were part of a larger purge of military leadership under the current administration. This purge often targets leaders who supported DEI initiatives. Other high-ranking officers removed included Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown.
The Secretary of War commented about physical fitness. “Warfighters in combat-related occupations must execute their fitness test at a gender-neutral male standard”. They must achieve a score of 70% or higher.
Before, PT standards were gender-based, across all branches and occupations.
A genuinely gender-neutral standard for “combat-related” occupations would be based on a universal set of criteria. These criteria should be applicable to all people. It should not force all genders to conform to the average expectations of a single gender. A better description would be a “Uniform PT Standard” regardless of gender.
In December 2015, then-Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ordered the integration of all ground combat roles to women. He emphasized that physical and other standards for these positions would stay gender-neutral.
Doesn’t that mean gender-neutral standards for women in those roles were already in place? Does the staff of the President and Secretary of War do fact checking before speaking appearances?
For the record, I do not oppose a uniform PT standard for “combat related” military occupations.
As of 2024, around 3,800 women are serving in front-line Army combat roles. They are engaged across infantry, cavalry, armor, and field artillery roles. 151 women have graduated from the Army Ranger School. In the Marine Corps, nearly 700 women are serving in combat roles. In the Navy, women serve in combat aviation, and on combat ships. In the Marines, nearly 192 female officers and 410 enlisted women serving in Marine Corps combat roles.
Before his confirmation, the current Secretary of War appeared on “The Shawn Ryan Show.” He told the host that he was “straight-up saying we should not have women in combat roles.” Explaining his opposition to women in combat roles, he said, “It hasn’t made us more effective. It hasn’t made us more lethal. It has made fighting more complicated.”
So, tell me, those women I mentioned serving in combat roles. I don’t think “job security” is in their future. Do you? Just saying.
Everything I’ve mentioned here is verifiable. I will not engage folks who scream at me to “prove it.” They can do their own research, like I did. Oh, and my blog, my opinion. I don’t mind opposition. Everyone has a right to believe as they will, and like me, the right to share their opinion within limits. Yes, limits. For those of you that don’t know the limits to the 1st Amendment, here they are. They include incitement to imminent lawless action, true threats, defamation, obscenity, and child pornography. Those are big no-nos.
If I add to this blog, I will make sure its clearly noted as an edit.
A NOTE ON COMMUNITY MODERATION: I welcome civil debate and differing perspectives. However, dehumanizing language, personal attacks, or misinformation will be removed. Let’s focus on ideas, not insults.
Copyright © 2009-2026 Maria Appleby for Maria’s Musings: Tales My Heart Tells. All Rights Reserved.
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