Full Breakdown
Pentagon’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence Severely Downsized Under War Secretary Pete Hegseth
7/20/2026, 9:03:57 PM
Core Event
The Department of War’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (COE), created in 2023 to prevent civilian casualties, has been reduced from 40 personnel in January 2025 to nine by the end of that year, with later reports indicating a staff composition of seven civilians and two service members. The COE’s civilian-harm records database was discontinued, and the office is developing an AI assistant prototype that leverages the Army’s AskSage platform and the Maven Smart System to accelerate civilian-environment assessments.
Background & Context
When fully staffed, the COE was on track to achieve Full Operational Capability by the end of FY 2025. Its early work included basic civilian-harm mitigation training for 212 personnel from combatant commands (CENTCOM, AFRICOM), the intelligence community, the State Department, and other agencies. The downsizing occurred as the Trump administration renewed attacks on civilian sites in Iran, including the February strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab that killed more than 150 people, most of them children.
Data & Statistics
- Staff: 40 (Jan 2025) -> 9 (Dec 2025) -> 7 civilians + 2 military (FY 2026).
- FY 2026 Department-wide CHMR budget cuts reported.
- CENTCOM’s 10-person civilian-harm mitigation team reduced to one individual (Adm. Brad Cooper).
- Reported civilian deaths: 150 at Shajarah Tayyebeh school; 3,375 total in Iran (World Health Organization); 220 extrajudicial killings in Caribbean and Pacific boat-strike campaign; 224 civilians in Yemen during “Operation Rough Rider” (Airwars).
- AI assistant reportedly shortened assessment timelines by 97 % during an Army training exercise.
Official Statements & Responses
The Hegseth office indicated the 2025 COE annual report “will be made publicly available on an appropriate website of the Department” and “anticipate release … in the summer of 2026.” A current defense official said the AI-enabled Maven Smart System “provides a better layer of protection for civilians in war zones.”
Criticism & Opposition
Former COE chief Wes Bryant warned that the program “held on to a thread of the program … but the reality is the Center … has had little to no influence on or oversight or visibility on operations.” Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), wrote that the Trump administration “potentially in violation of federal law … has defunded and impeded civilian protection efforts.” Madison Hunke of the Center for Civilians in Conflict noted the COE “was cut down shortly after becoming fully operational” yet still managed to inject critical expertise across the military.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Without the discontinued CHMR Data Management Platform, the Pentagon cannot track civilian harm effectively. CENTCOM reported “no new updates … pertaining to current investigations or munitions that were expended during Operation Epic Fury,” while Airwars has documented hundreds of civilian casualty incidents in Iran and Yemen. The lack of a functional reporting mechanism at U.S. Southern Command further illustrates the gap between official statements of protection and on-the-ground data.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Hegseth regime held on to a thread of the program mostly in effort to be able to say they are following the law, but the reality is the Center and its efforts have had little to no influence on or oversight or visibility on operations,” — Wes Bryant, former chief of civilian harm assessments
- “The COE was cut down shortly after becoming fully operational,” — Madison Hunke, U.S. program manager, Center for Civilians in Conflict
- “We have no new updates at this time pertaining to current investigations or munitions that were expended during Operation Epic Fury.” — Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. Central Command
- “We anticipate release of the 2025 CPCoE report in the summer of 2026.” — Office of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
- “The Trump administration — potentially in violation of federal law — has defunded and impeded civilian protection efforts.” — Sen. Elizabeth Warren, in a letter to Secretary Hegseth
What’s Next
The Pentagon plans to publish the 2025 COE annual report in summer 2026. Several Army units have requested access to the AI assistant prototype, suggesting continued investment in AI-driven civilian-harm assessment despite overall program reductions.
