WASHINGTON — Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the U.S. military’s representative to NATO, has been relieved of her duties by the Trump administration, marking the latest in a series of high-level military dismissals.
The Pentagon has not issued a statement regarding Chatfield’s removal. She previously served as president of the Naval War College and is a veteran Navy pilot.
Last Thursday, the administration also dismissed Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, director of the National Security Agency. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has publicly criticized diversity initiatives in the military, has overseen the removal of several senior officers, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown.
Gen. CQ Brown, who is Black, had previously spoken publicly about the obstacles he faced throughout his military career and the importance of racial reconciliation following the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Like Vice Adm. Chatfield’s removal, Brown’s dismissal—and those of other senior officers—came without explanation from the Pentagon.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, condemned Chatfield’s firing as “disgraceful” and criticized his Republican colleagues for what he described as enabling the administration’s actions.
“The silence from my Republican colleagues is deeply troubling,” Reed said in a statement. “In less than three months, President Trump has fired 10 generals and admirals without explanation, including our most experienced combat leaders. I cannot fathom how anyone could stand silently by while the President causes great harm to our military and our nation.”
The Senate confirmed Chatfield to the NATO post in a unanimous vote in December 2023. Reuters first reported her firing. The Trump administration has also fired two other women admirals, the commandant of the Coast Guard, Linda Fagan, and the Chief of Naval Operations, Lisa Franchetti.
In a Jan. 29 memo, Hegseth directed a task force to identify and eliminate Biden-era diversity programs in the military. At a Pentagon town hall earlier this year, Hegseth told a civilian and military audience that diversity efforts divided the military rather than uniting it.
“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is our diversity is our strength,” Hegseth said. “I think our strength is our unity. I think our strength is our shared history.”
