Trump "fires" at the Pentagon: Top US military official suddenly dismissed, five high-ranking officials successively step down

On Friday Eastern Time, the top leadership of the US military was suddenly hit by a "huge shock": US President Trump removed General C.Q. Brown from his position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and dismissed five other senior US military officials including the first female Navy combatant commander in US history. Trump's decision has caused turbulence at the Pentagon and is seen by the outside world as an important step in clearing the influence of the "awakening movement". Sudden change in top US military leadership On Friday Eastern Time, Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that he will nominate retired General Dan Kane to replace Brown as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Kane was a former F-16 fighter pilot and had served as Deputy Director of Military Affairs at the CIA until the end of last year. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the highest-ranking military position in the US by statute, serving as the chief military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, National Security Council, and Homeland Security Council. Brown was the second black officer to hold this position in US history, and was expected to complete a four-year term by September 2027. Trump did not specify the reasons for replacing Brown. He only wrote on Truth Social: "I want to thank General Charles Brown for his more than 40 years of service to our country, including serving as the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish him and his family a bright future." Brown himself seemed unprepared for Trump's sudden dismissal. When Trump announced the news, Brown was on a business trip, and just a few hours before Trump tweeted, Brown's official account had just posted photos of him meeting troops at the US-Mexico border to combat illegal immigration. "Awakening" Generals? Trump's decision has caused turbulence at the Pentagon, and is seen by the outside world as an important step in clearing the influence of the "awakening movement". The so-called "awakening movement" is based on the core values of "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" (DEI). Trump has always been openly against the "awakening movement". In fact, even before Trump took office last year, he had mentioned during his campaign that once in office, he would fire the "awakening" generals and those responsible for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021. There were reports that Trump planned to completely restructure the senior ranks of the US military, including the important step of firing Brown. As a black officer, Brown has seemingly always been seen by the Trump team as one of the "awakening" generals. Brown was a former fighter pilot with command experience in the Middle East and Asia. In 2020, the "George Floyd death incident" sparked protests for racial justice across the US, and at that time Brown also posted a poignant video online, recounting his experiences of discrimination in the military due to his black identity. In September 2023, Brown was nominated by former President Biden and approved by the Senate to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has always been skeptical of Brown. In his recent book, Hegseth directly questioned whether Brown would have gotten the job if he weren't black. In his 2024 book "Warrior's Battle", Hegseth wrote: "(Was his appointment) because of his skin color? Or his skills? We'll never know, but we always doubt - on the surface, this seems unfair to Brown. But since he has made his race card one of his biggest assets, this is no big deal." First female Navy commander also dismissed In addition to Brown, the dismissal of Navy combatant commander Fran Kaitie has also attracted attention. Fran Kaitie is the first woman in US history to serve as a branch commander at the Pentagon, and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2023, Fran Kaitie was nominated by then-President Biden, which surprised many at the time. Pentagon officials at the time widely expected that Navy Admiral Samuel Paparo, who was leading the Navy in the Pacific region, would be appointed as the Navy combatant commander. US Defense Secretary Hegseth released a statement saying that in addition to the above two individuals, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff James Slive has also been dismissed, and he is "requesting nominations" for the general counsels of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, indicating that they too will be replaced. Hegseth stated that under President Trump's leadership, the US Department of Defense is implementing a new leadership team, focused on the military's core mission of "deterrence, strike, and winning wars". This article is translated from "Cailian News" by Liu Rui, GMTEight Editor: Li Cheng.