US Defense Secretary Hagel has once again become embroiled in controversy regarding personnel appointments. According to The Wall Street Journal, on June 1st, Hagel prevented the promotion of eight naval colonels. At the same time, he actively promoted his own cronies who had failed to pass the necessary evaluations.
Some insiders revealed that Haggess also tried to prevent several active Navy brigadiers from being promoted to rear admirals. This action has sparked controversy within the U.S. Navys senior ranks, and as a result, the promotion plans for a group of senior officers have been delayed by several months. Meanwhile, the Department of Defense has yet to release the latest list of rear admirals who have been promoted.
The newspaper pointed out that Haggesss personal review and intervention in the list of officers to be promoted was extremely unusual. There were concerns that this might indicate his preference for promoting officers who shared his policies and showed loyalty to him, thereby denying other eligible officers their chances of promotion.
Some American military officials privately question whether Haggess targeted officers based on their race, gender, or background related to policies related to diversity and inclusiveness.
Several current and former U.S. officials said that Haggess believed that the previous government promoted some officers who did not possess the necessary qualifications in order to meet diversity criteria, while ignoring qualified candidates. In response, officials from the Biden administration stated that military promotions are always based on individual ability and performance, rather than a quota system.
Regarding the related doubts, the Pentagon argued that civilian leaders have the legal right to choose their military advisors. Sean Pennelly, the chief spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense, stated in a statement, As we have said before, military promotions should be given to those who truly meet the qualifications for promotion. The Department of Defense will never consider a soldiers skin color or gender as factors in promotions. Under President Trump and Secretary Hagels leadership, the principle of merit will always guide the defense system.
Hageths answers questions from Congress. Video screenshot
The American newspaper The New York Times reported on the 1st that nine naval colonels were recently removed from the promotion list by Hagersey. Among them were three women, two black men, and four white men.
One of the female officers had served as a Diversity Liaison Officer 20 years ago. Her role involved helping the Navy to recruit and retain female and minority officers. Shortly after her name appeared on a website that specialized in collecting information about so-called awakened officers, Haggess criticized her.
According to reports, since becoming Defense Minister, Haggess has fired or marginalized approximately 30 senior military officers.
Promotion from Navy Colonel to Navy Major is considered one of the most competitive processes within the U.S. Navy. All officers on the original promotion list were selected by a committee composed of Navy generals. The selection process must follow the guidelines established by the Secretary of the Service.
Relevant principles generally prohibit decisions based on factors such as race or gender. Usually, officers are removed from the promotion list only when new major issues arise, such as moral misconduct, mental health problems, physical conditions that make them unfit for service, or serious professional misconduct.
It is currently unclear whether Haggess recommended that the relevant officers be removed from the promotion list, or whether he took action unilaterally. According to U.S. law, such recommendations must be submitted in writing for approval by the president.
It is important to note that none of the 22 officers who were promoted to rear admiral in the U.S. Department of Defenses latest list includes any women. This continues a trend observed over the past year, where female officers in the U.S. Navy have not been able to reach the rank of admiral. According to analysis by the military website Task & Purpose, the last time a female officer in the U.S. Navy was promoted from colonel to rear admiral was in June 2025.
Meanwhile, several people familiar with the situation revealed that Haggess is pushing for his special assistant, Colonel William Francis of the Navy SEALs, to be promoted. Francis had failed to pass the promotion committees evaluation on multiple occasions. An American official said that Haggess believes Francis did not receive a promotion because he is a white man.
This is not the first time Haggith has promoted his close associates. Last year, Haggith dismissed Jennifer Short, the former senior military assistant to the defense secretary. Christopher Larnell was nominated to take her place. Subsequently, he also removed James Minge from his position as deputy army chief of staff. Now, Larnell is seen as a strong candidate for the position of army chief of staff.
The United States has expressed concerns about Haggess interference in military promotions. Jack Reid, the Democratic chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said during a hearing in April that he had received feedback from several military personnel who felt confused and uneasy about Haggess actions.
This goes against the ability-based promotion system, which is the foundation upon which the U.S. military is built. Reid criticized Haggess, saying, You are weakening the pool of senior officers with extensive experience and outstanding performance within the military. This also makes young officers question whether they should continue serving in the military.
