US Secretary of War Hegseth May Block Promotions for Women and Black Officers

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black officers and women.

The American publication NBC News reported that they may have been targeted because of their race, gender, or ties to officials in the Biden administration.

Nine US officials familiar with the situation told the NBC about this.

“There is no branch of the military that has not experienced this level of interference from Hegseth,” said one of the US officials.

Two sources stated that there is concern within the military and the White House that Hegseth is blocking or delaying the promotion of some qualified officers to general and admiral ranks due to their race or gender.

Officials also fear that the secretary may be singling out military personnel whom he considers politically connected or affiliated with the Biden administration.

On Thursday, Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, whose term was set to last four years — until September 2027.

George, the Army’s highest-ranking officer, served as senior military aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration.

George recently requested a meeting with Hegseth to discuss the blocking of promotions for certain Army officers, which appeared to primarily affect women and Black men. However, Hegseth refused to meet or discuss his decisions.

Representatives from various branches of the US military neither responded to requests for comment from the publication nor referred them to the Pentagon. A Department of Defense spokesperson also did not respond to numerous requests for comment, but after the article was published, stated that it was untrue.

“This story is rife with fake news from anonymous sources who have no idea what they’re talking about and are far removed from the actual decision-makers at the Pentagon,” Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday. “Under Secretary Hegseth, promotions in the military go to those who have earned them. The meritocracy that prevails in this department is apolitical and unbiased.”

In recent weeks, Hegseth has blocked promotions or appointments to new positions for three Marine Corps officers — two women and one Black man, according to five sources. None of them were the subject of internal investigations that could cast doubt on their promotions.

“Corps leadership recommended them for promotion, but Hegseth refused to move forward with these decisions,” the sources told the NBC News.

This year’s list of military promotions included about 30 officers for the rank of Brigadier General. It was submitted to the White House in mid-March and later to the Senate, but only after Hegseth struck four names from it.

Specifically, he removed two women and two Black officers.

“If there are no charges or investigations, why were they excluded?” said one official. “They all served in combat and proved their professionalism.”

According to 2024 data from the US Department of Defense, 80% of US military personnel are men; 67% are white, and 18% are Black. Among officers, 80% are men; 74% are white, and only 9% are Black.