Hegseth says the Pentagon is done 'walking on eggshells.' Women in uniform say it feels like a 'slap in the face.'

Business Insider

03-05-2025

A rash of changes at the Pentagon has been sparking concern among some female service members. Now, a new memo set to potentially bring more change is causing additional alarm.
Since Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took over the Pentagon, top female officers have been fired, some women's service histories have been erased, women's leadership programs have been squashed, and an advisory board focused on women in the military has been dismissed.
Last Friday, Hegseth signed a memo directing a review of equal opportunity programs and the processes for reporting and investigating harassment allegations. Hegseth said the moves, which he's dubbed the "no more walking on eggshells" policy, would ensure faster and more impartial investigations.
"Too often at the Defense Department, there are complaints made for certain reasons that can't be verified that have ended people's careers," he said in an accompanying video, calling some complaints "nonsense."
But current and former female service members told Business Insider that they worry potential changes could reverse recent progress in addressing problems like hazing, sexual harassment, racism, and social media misconduct.
Retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Kate Germano, author of the book "Fight Like a Girl," told BI that "it seems that those who are at the bottom of the pecking order will be the most adversely impacted by the [latest] change — especially women and people of color."
A Marine officer who has led investigations told BI the new memo seems "part and parcel with their effort to weaken participation of underrepresented groups."
"It doesn't seem like a bad thing to prevent spurious complaints," she said, speaking anonymously to avoid retaliation. She previously investigated questionable claims but said that she hates "the idea that you could be punished if your command doesn't agree with you."
'Gutting the program'
The new memo, titled "Restoring Good Order and Discipline Through Balanced Accountability," orders the dismissal of complaints not substantiated by "actionable, credible evidence." Such a change could discredit anonymous complaints or harassment that occurs in private, said Rachel VanLandingham, a law professor at Southwestern Law School and former Air Force JAG.
Changes to Department of Defense policies could also have an outsized impact on the lowest enlisted ranks, which make up a large share of historical reports of bias and sex-based discrimination complaints.
Military EO programs are responsible for ensuring personnel are allowed "full and fair opportunity for employment, career advancement and access to programs without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, genetic information or parental status."
"The programs allow personnel to report discrimination and harassment, and that's a good thing," Hegseth said in a DoD news release. "But what's not good is when these programs are weaponized. Some individuals use these programs in bad faith to retaliate against superiors or peers."
Hegseth did not provide data on the scope of false allegations made through the military's EO process, only saying in a video on X that he hears it "all the time."
The secretary has personally faced what he has said were false allegations of sexual assault. In 2020, Hegseth settled a dispute with a woman who said the former TV host sexually assaulted her. No charges were ever filed. During his confirmation hearing, he said that the situation was "fully investigated" and that he was "completely cleared."
EO programs have been scrutinized before. Some critics have said the policies make "character assassination" easy for disgruntled personnel.
"There's things that could be worked on," VanLandingham said. But with this memo, she said, it seems like "they're just gutting the program."
A 2020 investigation by Reuters found that troops file complaints at much lower rates than DoD civilians, suggesting a fear of retaliation among active duty personnel.
VanLandingham said that making a false allegation is an offense that's already covered by the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, which criminalizes false official statements.
Changes to the EO program could create a chilling effect on victims who might fear reporting harassment, she added, highlighting that some troops may avoid submitting complaints for fear of retaliation or being ostracized.
"I would never tell anyone to make an EO complaint, especially now," said a female veteran who previously submitted a complaint alleging sexual harassment and said she later faced retaliation. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she is seeking federal employment. BI reviewed related documentation between her and her command.
"If they don't like you, it's now definitely a way to get rid of you and adversely affect your career," she said.
Another woman, who is on active duty, told BI she fears the changes will discourage troops from filing complaints.
"This feels like a slap in the face," she said.
Unanswered questions
"I guess the biggest question is who decides what is or is not credible information or what is fair," Germano said. She said the military's process for internal investigations is already thorny — such investigations are often done by troops with little to no meaningful investigative experience, often bestowed upon them as a secondary duty.
Casting greater doubt on the legitimacy of claims could make things even trickier, Germano said, explaining decisions may be influenced by the perspectives of the command's senior members, based on their own experiences.
Such biases have likely contributed to patterns of sexual assault investigations that ended favorably for alleged perpetrators who were viewed positively by their leaders, Germano said.
BI asked the Office of the Secretary of Defense whether eyewitness testimony would be considered credible evidence, and what might happen if harassment occurs privately. The office referred to a Friday statement from acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jules W. Hurst III.
"Protecting MEO and EEO programs and processes is critical to advancing meritocracy and balancing accountability," the statement read. "The comprehensive review will make certain that these programs and processes are timely, efficient, and effective, and that the tools designed to support them are applied in a manner consistent with our mission and values."
The advocacy group Protect Our Defenders said that the new memo "sends a stark and chilling message: report misconduct at your own risk."
"By creating new barriers to justice and threatening retaliation against those who speak up, the Department of Defense is attempting to undo congressionally mandated legal protections — and tip the scales against survivors — with a memo," the group said.