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Story summary
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gutted the Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHMR) program, slashing its staff.
- Top commanders rejected the cuts, voting for a 65% staff reduction to keep the program.
- Nuclear and cyber command leaders refused any cuts, demanding the full program remain.
- U.S. Central Command’s CHMR staff fell from 16 to one, jeopardizing battlespace awareness.
- Under-secretary Elbridge Colby later proposed reviving CHMR with 70 full-time staff, preserving 35% capacity.
