WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pete Hegseth blocked nine Navy officers from promotion to the rank of one-star admiral, according to Pentagon records. The group included three women and two Black men, leaving no women among the 22 officers who remain on the final promotion list.
Each of the nine officers had been selected for promotion by a board of senior Navy admirals. Pentagon rules state that the defense secretary is only supposed to remove officers from the promotion list for mental, moral, or professional failings that would impact their new role. The list after Hegseth’s edits includes only two nonwhite officers.
Women make up over a fifth of active-duty Navy personnel, and racial minorities account for approximately 38% of the service’s active-duty force. Despite that representation, none of the current one-star admiral nominees are women, and only two are nonwhite.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated, "Military promotions are given to those who have earned them." He added, "The department will never consider the color of a service member’s skin or their gender as a factor in promotions."
Some of the officers removed from the promotion list had previously taken part in diversity-related events. No official reason was provided for their removal, and the Pentagon did not specify whether any of the nine were excluded due to disqualifying professional, moral, or mental concerns as outlined in department policy.
Before removing the nine nominees, Hegseth had pushed Navy officials to promote his special assistant, Navy SEAL Capt. William Francis Jr., to the rank of one-star admiral. Capt. Francis did not have the experience necessary for promotion to that rank and was not selected by the promotion board.