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Defense Secretary Hegseth Orders Mass Officer Retirements

7/23/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forced the retirement of more than two dozen officers, MS NOW reports.
He issued a May 2025 memo ordering the Pentagon to slash general officer numbers, dubbed the “Pentagon purge.”
Gen. Christopher Donahue quit after Hegseth called the Afghanistan withdrawal “humiliating.”
Nancy Lacore (D-SC) spoke on the retirements.
Charles Q. Brown spoke on the retirements and authored a Foreign Affairs op-ed.

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Story summary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forced the retirement of more than two dozen officers, MS NOW reports.
He issued a May 2025 memo ordering the Pentagon to slash general officer numbers, dubbed the “Pentagon purge.”
Gen. Christopher Donahue quit after Hegseth called the Afghanistan withdrawal “humiliating.”
Nancy Lacore (D-SC) spoke on the retirements.
Charles Q. Brown spoke on the retirements and authored a Foreign Affairs op-ed.