Retired general says Trump official’s purge has reached 'next level'

A retired Air Force brigadier general is warning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that removing top military officers and pushing cultural changes at the Pentagon has become a distraction that could weaken the military.

John Teichert, who previously served as the head of Joint Base Andrews and Edwards Air Force Base, expressed his opinions in an opinion article for the Washington Post on Thursday. Although he previously criticized the military policies of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, he now claims Hegseth has gone too far in the other direction.

“Secretary Hegseth’s actions have taken ideological cleansing to the next level,” Teichert wrote. He added that the atmosphere inside the Pentagon is now “rife with groupthink” and argued that officers may increasingly see silence as safer for their careers than challenging senior leaders.

Teichert comes following Hegseth's latest purge of the military's highest ranks. In a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Wednesday, Hegseth said the Pentagon would reduce the number of generals and admirals by 20 percent and described these reductions as a way to cut bureaucracy and improve accountability.

Hegseth stated that the department has already got rid of about 10 percent of its generals and admirals and has also reduced the number of general officer positions by 10 percent. “The media calls that a purge. I call it accountability,” Hegseth said.

According to the Associated Press, Hegseth has been focusing on getting rid of what he calls "woke" culture at the Pentagon; this includes reversing diversity initiatives, examining ground combat units that include female troops, and launching a screening program for testosterone deficiency among male service members.

Teichert said he agrees with some of Hegseth's criticisms of previous Pentagon priorities, believing the military lost its focus under Democratic administrations, and he strongly criticized the Biden administration's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2021.

On the other hand, he said Hegseth is creating a new problem by emphasizing ideological loyalty and the image of a physical warrior over other qualities needed for military readiness.

Teichert said experienced officers are being displaced when the military needs leaders who can think for themselves and challenge established ideas; he cited a leadership principle from former Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell, who cautions against senior officials being surrounded by people who will not disagree.

The general, now retired, also objected to the notion that physical toughness alone determines military readiness. He said effective commanders must also be creative, disciplined, experienced, and able to make tough decisions.

This warning comes as Hegseth carries out a major reshuffle of the Pentagon's leadership. The most recent cutbacks are expected to lead to further changes in the military's senior ranks, even as U.S. operations continue overseas.