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Defense Secretary Removes Officers, Sparks Controversy Over Merit

3/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed four officers from a military promotion list, a move critics call a break from longstanding norms.
Critics, including retired Space Force Col. Bree Fram, say the action politicizes a merit-based system.
Fram emphasized that two of the removed officers were women and two were Black men.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the criticism as "fake news."

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Story summary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed four officers from a military promotion list, a move critics call a break from longstanding norms.
Critics, including retired Space Force Col. Bree Fram, say the action politicizes a merit-based system.
Fram emphasized that two of the removed officers were women and two were Black men.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the criticism as "fake news."