Retired admiral goes scorched earth on Trump admin sabotaging military

Members of the military attend a meeting convened by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Quantico, Virginia, on September 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

A retired Navy admiral did not hold back in a new piece for MS NOW, ripping apart the Trump administration for its prejudice against certain officers, effectively sabotaging recruitment efforts at a time when the military can least afford it.

John Kirby is a national security analyst for MS NOW, and had an extensive defense career prior to joining the network. This included nearly three decades in the Navy, retiring as a rear admiral, and stints as a senior spokesman for the Defense Department, State Department and National Security Council in the Obama and Biden administrations.

On Sunday, he published his latest op-ed for the network, warning readers not to let the dramatic recent departure of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll distract them from what reportedly led to his exit in the first place: the unprecedented and "disturbing" changes being led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

"The resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll should not overshadow some disturbing facts: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or blocked the promotions of more than 80 generals and admirals, or about 10 percent of our nation’s top military officers," Kirby wrote. "His personnel and policy decisions are threatening our long-term national security."

The worst of these decisions, he argued, could be seen in Hegseth's treatment of women in the armed forces

"Three times this year, including this past week, Hegseth personally struck qualified officers from board-approved promotion lists after service leaders refused his request to remove them. About half the officers were Black or women," Kirby added. "And now, the share of high-ranking officer nominations going to women is at its lowest level in more than two decades, The New York Times reports. Although women have served in combat roles for more than 30 years, including in ground combat for the past decade, Hegseth ordered a review of combat roles for women and disbanded the nonpartisan Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services."

Kirby further outlined "several reasons" why this crusade against women matters, beyond simple morality. For starters, the military is, for the time being, an entirely volunteer-based outfit, with female recruits making up "about 10 percent of Marines and closer to 20 percent of the other services," with "very few military specialties" left that do not include women in some way.

"Our military cannot afford to deprive itself of this talent," Kirby argued. "And there is value — despite Hegseth’s protestations — in fielding a force that looks like and represents the people it defends, especially when you ask those same people to join it. That’s a big part of what an 'all' volunteer force means."

Kirby also countered claims from the Pentagon that recruitment is strong despite its recent purges and changes in approach to women, with the retired admiral chalking those numbers up to the successes of efforts established by past administrations, as well as the dire state of Trump's economy, with tough conditions traditionally leading to an increase in military service. He also called recruitment figures "lagging indicators," suggesting that the real impacts of Hegseth's leadership are soon to come.

Kirby also detailed how this treatment of women is depriving the military of "exceptionally qualified leaders during a time of war," specifically highlighting the contributions of women like four-star admiral Lisa Franchetti, whom Hegseth fired a month after his appointment; or, Air Force Lt. General Jennifer Short, also fired despite "more than 1,800 hours flying the A-10 Warthog"; or, Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, fired after "taking up a leadership post at NATO headquarters."

"Hegseth likes to talk about lethality. These women kicked lethality’s butt," Kirby wrote. "I knew and served alongside each of them. They were fine leaders and good people. And now, like the other women Hegseth has ousted, they and their expertise are gone from the services. Replacing their wisdom and experience will take at least a decade — if we’re lucky."

He later concluded: "But taken together and in light of his long-standing views about women in the military — reinforced by his recent reprehensible body-shaming of a female Canadian teenage cadet — it is clear that Hegseth is spearheading a concerted effort to diminish female leadership in the armed forces. That risks making it more difficult to recruit and retain female talent, depriving our troops of some truly exceptional leaders and politicizing both the promotion process and the senior ranks. Hegseth is not just campaigning against DEI; he’s campaigning against DNA. If you don’t have a Y chromosome, then you don’t have much of a shot at senior leadership. That’s a wholly new and different 'war on warriors.' And nobody wins that one — not Hegseth, not the military and certainly not the American people."

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