Trump fires Shoshana Chatfield, top female navy officer at NATO
US Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield speaks at the SMS Cormoran II Memorial (Photo: Getty Images)
The administration of Donald Trump has fired US Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, the only woman on NATO’s military committee, sparking outrage among politicians and the public, reports AP News.
Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, an experienced Navy pilot and commander of a joint reconstruction team in Afghanistan, was notified of her dismissal by Admiral Christopher Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
According to US officials, the decision was made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the promotion of diversity and inclusion ideas within the armed forces.
Chatfield’s dismissal is part of the Trump and Hegseth campaign against so-called "woke" policies aimed at removing leaders who support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
In particular, the conservative American Accountability Foundation, in its letter to Hegseth, demanded a "purge of woke leaders from the military."
Public reaction and recent dismissals in US military structures
The decision to dismiss Chatfield sparked a wave of criticism among politicians.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner stated that the "reckless dismissal of decorated officers undermines the country’s security and weakens the US position on the international stage."
Previously, in February of this year, the Trump administration also fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, and Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the Coast Guard. These dismissals were part of a broader effort to eliminate DEI programs from the military.
Chatfield, a graduate of Boston University with a doctoral degree from the University of San Diego, had previously publicly expressed the importance of equality and women's participation in the armed forces.
Her statement, "Our diversity is our strength," was met with disapproval from Hegseth, who has repeatedly criticized similar remarks.
Shortly before Chatfield's dismissal, Trump also fired six National Security Council (NSC) staff members after a meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer.
Following that, he dismissed the leadership of the National Security Agency (NSA), including General Timothy Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble.
These personnel decisions provoked widespread criticism from politicians and national security experts.
