Associated Press
President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his Defense Secretary to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.
The ouster of Brown, only the second Black General to serve as chairman, is sure to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been consumed with the war in Ukraine and the expanded conflict in the Middle East.
“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.
Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for the administration’s wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities.
___
Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
3 comments
KathrynA
February 22, 2025 at 2:55 pm
Just so sad for people who have given their lives in service for our country.
Skeptic
February 22, 2025 at 4:02 pm
I feel safer already. Military readiness can only be improved when a large number of members of the service (blacks and Latinos) feel that there is no path for advancement. Bring Back the DRAFT!
Michael K
February 22, 2025 at 4:08 pm
Can’t wait to hear MAGA hats to explain this one. And he’s being replaced by a retired 3 star (not 4 star) person whose only credential (besides being a straight white male) is that he wore a MAGA hat – in violation of military rules – and called Dear Leader “sir” several years ago.
Putin is delighted with the internal destruction of the United States by Musk and his Trump puppet.