Exclusive-US admiral at NATO fired in expanding national security purge
By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Lili Bayer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, who holds a senior position in NATO, has been fired as part of what appears to be an expanding national security purge of top officials by the Trump administration, three sources told Reuters on Monday.
The information was not immediately confirmed by the Pentagon. However, the sources told Reuters that allies had been notified that Chatfield had been removed from her job.
Chatfield, the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee, is one of only a handful of female Navy three-star officers and was the first woman to lead the Naval War College, a job she held until 2023.
The firing is the latest to rock the Pentagon after Thursday's removal of General Timothy Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. For the Navy, it follows the firing of its top officer, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to become Chief of Naval Operations.
President Donald Trump's administration has taken a cool view of NATO, as well as European allies, since taking office in January. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used his first trip to NATO headquarters in February to warn Europe against treating the United States like a "sucker" by making it responsible for its defense.
It was unclear if any official reason was given for Chatfield's dismissal, or if it was related to any U.S. policy direction on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
One source said the motive may have been related to the Pentagon's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a recent Harvard Magazine interview, Chatfield sounded eager for a time when the qualifications of women in the military would not be held in suspicion.
The article cited one example when Chatfield, herself a helicopter pilot, led an MH-60S Sea Hawk expeditionary helicopter squadron in 2005-2006.
"A mid-grade sailor ... asked, 'Ma'am, can you fly one of those helicopters?' And I chuckled and said, 'Yes, actually it's a prerequisite for this job!'" she was quoted as saying, adding that at the time she had been wearing her wings that showed she was a naval aviator.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Is Donald Trump Considering Tactical Nukes Against Iran? What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Trump administration has not taken anything "off the table," including the use of tactical nuclear weapons, if it decides to take military action against the underground Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow, Fox News reported, citing a White House official. It followed a report in The Guardian that the president "is not considering using a tactical nuclear weapon on Fordow." The Pentagon declined comment to Newsweek, instead referring to a statement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said on June 16 that he had directed "the deployment of additional capabilities" to the Middle East. "Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these developments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region," Hegseth said. President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House on June 18, 2025 (left) and a retired U.S. B61 thermonuclear gravity bomb, a type of tactical nuclear weapon still... President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House on June 18, 2025 (left) and a retired U.S. B61 thermonuclear gravity bomb, a type of tactical nuclear weapon still in service, shown in 2021. More BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Jon G. Fuller/GETTY/AP Why It Matters No nuclear weapon has been deployed in war since the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945, and any use of such weapons against an Iranian facility would be extremely controversial in the U.S. and worldwide. On Thursday, the White House said Trump would decide "within the next two weeks" whether the U.S. will join Israeli military action that began on June 13 against Iranian nuclear sites. Israel claims that Iran is working toward building a nuclear weapon, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. What To Know One of Iran's most important nuclear sites is the Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, which is believed to be buried about 80 meters deep into the side of a mountain. Experts have suggested Israel doesn't have any conventional bombs capable of destroying the site, though on Thursday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "we have the capability" to "hit all of their nuclear facilities." Unlike Israel, the U.S. possesses 30,000-pound GBU-57s "bunker buster" bombs that are specifically designed to reach targets buried deep beneath the surface and can be deployed by B-2 Spirit heavy bombers. On Wednesday, citing people "familiar with the deliberations," The Guardian reported that Trump "does not appear to be fully convinced" that GBU-57s bombs can reach the Fordow facility. It said the effectiveness of GBU-57s against the Fordow facility was "a topic of deep contention" within the Pentagon, citing two defense officials, with some reportedly believing that only a tactical nuclear weapon could destroy the site. It added that Trump was "not considering" the option and said it hadn't been presented by Hegseth or Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine. Tactical nuclear weapons are smaller than strategic nuclear weapons and are designed to be deployed for limited strikes or on the battlefield, rather than against whole cities. The U.S. maintains a large arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, though none have ever been used in combat. Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said she was told by a White House official that The Guardian report was "false." According to Heinrich, the official "has no doubt about the efficacy of bunker busters in eliminating the site at Fordow" adding they also denied "that any options [including tactical nukes] have been taken off the table." Israel has been attacking Iranian military and nuclear sites since June 13. On Thursday, the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said that at least 639 people had been killed in the attacks, though the figures have not been independently verified. In response, Iran has fired ballistic missiles at Israel, killing 24 civilians, according to Israeli authorities. On Friday the British, French and German foreign ministers were slated to meet their Iranian counterpart in Geneva, Switzerland, in a bid to resolve the conflict. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that "a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution." What People Are Saying Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich: "There have been a lot of headlines this afternoon including one from The Guardian that claims that the U.S. military has doubts about whether the 'bunker-buster' bombs could get the job done, further claiming only a tactical nuke maybe could finish it and it further stated that the president is not considering a tactical nuke, that it was not one of the options presented to him. "I was just told by a top official here that none of that report is true, that none of the options are off the table and the U.S. military is very confident 'bunker busters' could get the job done at Fordow." Fox News host Jesse Watters, on Thursday: "The Guardian reported Trump was getting cold feet worried about the effectiveness of 'bunker busters' and not willing to use tactical nukes. But the White House tells Fox that's not true, everything's on the table, even tactical nukes." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, on Friday, referring to possible U.S. tactical nuke deployment, according to Russia's TASS news agency: "This would be a catastrophic there are so many speculations that, in fact, it's impossible to comment on them." What Happens Next It is not yet known whether the U.S. will launch strikes against Iran and, if so, what weaponry it will use. Deploying a tactical nuclear bomb, the first use of a nuclear weapon since World War II, would be a controversial move.
New York Post
30 minutes ago
- New York Post
California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls wife ‘first partner,' gets dragged online, including by Riley Gaines
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting roasted on social media after he called his wife, Jennifer, 'first partner' in a birthday tribute. 'Happy Birthday to the First Partner of California, the outstanding mother of our four incredible children, and the love of my life,' Newsom wrote to mark his wife's 51st birthday on Thursday. The backlash was swift with women's rights activist Riley Gaines leading the charge, tweeting: 'I can't even fathom my husband unironically calling me his partner????' 3 Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife. X / @CAgovernor Others piled on as they ripped Newsom for being too woke. ''First Partner' is grounds for an immediate divorce,' one raged on X. Another chimed in: 'Have you ever considered marrying your 'partner' so that she's your wife? The first lady? 3 Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference on June 12. JOHN G MABANGLO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 'Were you not sure about her gender and wanted to go gender neutral?' I'm so confused … why is it so wrong to use female terms? Are you that misogynistic?' another user questioned. Some mocked the Democrat for still referring to his wife as a 'mother,' even though he avoided saying 'wife.' 3 Jennifer Siebel Newsom speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference on May 5. REUTERS 'Shame on him, he forgot to call her the birthing person instead of mother,' one person wrote on X, sarcastically. His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, describes herself as the 'first partner' on the governor's official website and in her own social media bios. 'Jennifer Siebel Newsom chose the title First Partner, as opposed to the traditional title of First Lady, to send a signal of inclusivity, recognizing that one day there will be a woman or LGBTQ+ Governor of California, and to elevate the importance of partnership and the need for, and benefits of, a caring, inclusive government,' her bio on the website reads.
CNN
37 minutes ago
- CNN
Iran has ‘weakest hand of cards' in 40 years, says fmr. NATO commander
Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, speaks with Christiane Amanpour about Israel's strikes on Iran.
