Trump fires US military official at NATO - after she appeared on a ‘woke' list
Donald Trump's administration has fired a top, female U.S. military officer at NATO, after she appeared on a so-called 'woke' list.
Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield – a combat veteran and helicopter pilot – was let go, officials announced on Monday. She was the only woman on NATO's military committee.
Although no reason was given, officials said it was apparently tied to comments Chatfield has made that supported diversity in the force. She has previously appeared on a list of senior military officers targeted as 'woke' by the conservative research group American Accountability Foundation.
According to The Associated Press, Chatfield was informed by Admiral Christopher Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the administration wanted to go in a different direction with the job.
Chatfield has been known to be a vocal advocate of diversity in the force, contrary to remarks made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump.
Officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity about the firing, said they believe the decision was made last week by Hegseth, but it was unclear whether he received any direction from the president.
Chatfield, a Navy helicopter pilot who also commanded a joint reconstruction team in Afghanistan, had been serving as one of the 32 representatives on NATO's military committee.
The panel is the primary source of military advice to the North Atlantic Council and NATO's Nuclear Planning Group, according to NATO. It serves as the link between the political decision-makers and NATO's military structure.
She is the third top female officer to be fired since Trump took office. Hegseth announced in February that he was firing the chief of naval operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti.
Trump fired Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan the day after he was sworn in.
Trump and Hegseth have been vocal in their insistence that so-called woke policies are dead, specifically in regard to the military. There has been a vigorous campaign to remove leaders who promoted diversity, equity and inclusion, and to erase DEI programs and online content.
The American Accountability Foundation, who designated Chatfield as 'woke,' previously sent a letter to Hegseth saying that 'purging the woke from the military is imperative.'
The letter also stated that Chatfield posted supportive comments on LinkedIn about a diversity summit and gave a speech in 2015 at Women's Equality Day. The group quoted her as saying that investing in empowering women can unlock human potential.
The group also said she was quoted as saying, 'our diversity is our strength' — a phrase that Hegseth has repeatedly condemned.
The campaign to erase DEI programs and online content has been met with questions and concern from lawmakers, local leaders and citizens angered by the removal of military heroes and historic mentions from Defense Department websites and social media pages.
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said he was 'deeply disturbed' by the firing of Chatfield.
'Trump's relentless attacks on our alliances and his careless dismissal of decorated military officials make us less safe and weaken our position across the world," Warner wrote on X.
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