Hegseth Blocks Some Navy One-Star Promotions, Officials Say

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked the promotions of at least seven U.S. Navy officers selected for one-star admiral, according to four current and former defense officials who spoke anonymously about personnel matters.

The intervention occurred in late May and produced a revised list of 22 nominees that includes no female officers and only two nonwhite officers, the officials said. They said the outcome differs sharply from the service’s demographics, in which women make up about 21% and racial minorities about 38% of the active-duty Navy.

The officials said the move was unusual and appeared to run counter to rules designed to keep the promotion process apolitical and based on merit. Under Pentagon rules cited in the account, the defense secretary can remove officers from promotion lists only for moral, mental, physical, or professional failings that call their fitness to lead into question.

At least two of the officers removed from the list were women and two were Black men, the officials said. The remaining officers taken off the list were three white men, they said. The revised slate was released publicly in late May.

The action has drawn scrutiny in Congress and within the military, where senior leaders have raised concerns about the lack of transparency around removals from promotion lists. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern, according to the account.

Pentagon response and broader personnel interventions

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said promotions are based on merit and do not consider race or gender. He did not provide specific reasons for the removals.

The article said Hegseth’s step with the Navy list fits a broader pattern of personnel interventions since he took office, including the dismissal or sidelining of nearly three dozen senior military officers. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island said in Senate testimony that nearly 60% of the senior officers Hegseth has fired are female or Black.

Concerns about the promotion system

According to the account, the absence of publicly stated reasons for removals has contributed to anxiety within the military’s top ranks. The officials said the promotion system is intended to operate under clear standards, and they argued that unexplained interventions could affect confidence in the process.

Further congressional oversight is likely as lawmakers press the Pentagon for more detail on how promotion and dismissal decisions are being made and whether established criteria are being followed.