Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Chief of Naval Operations, Among Others, Fired
The senior military advisor to the President and the first female head of the Navy, both Biden appointees, were fired, along with the Vice Chief of the Air Force and all three service JAG officers
On Friday, February 21, President Trump fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Charles Q. “CQ” Brown. Several minutes later, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti.
You might remember that we have followed Brown closely: Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley’s Replacement Even More Woke, If That is Possible:
[The] news that Milley plans to retire and remove himself from the national spotlight should be a cause for celebration.
The problem is that Air Force General Charles Q. “C.Q.” Brown, currently the Air Force Chief of Staff, who, on Thursday, President Biden nominated to replace Milley, is even worse, if that can possibly be true…
I won’t go into the gory details of everything Brown did,—from publishing a racist video about the death of George Floyd to complaining about people not recognizing him in civilian clothes, to instituting racist quotas mandating the reduction of White Air Force fighter pilots…you can read all about it at the link above.
But then he deflected his policies during his confirmation hearing, Joint Chiefs Chairman Nominee Soft Pedals His Prior Racist Policies in Confirmation Hearing, claiming that he was just trying to be “inclusive,” not blatantly, and unconstitutionally, racist.
And of course, during his tenure, Space Force Squadron Commander Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lohmeier was fired for truthfully exposing how woke, racist, and Marxist the U.S. military was becoming. Meanwhile, avowed racist and pusher of all things DEI, Air Force Colonel Ben Johnsson, was selected for promotion to Brigadier General. Space Force Operations Chief Lieutenant General Deanna Burt proudly stated that she routinely selects “less qualified” personnel to man critical command positions to protect LGBTQ+ Air Force members from having to move to red states.
So, you’ll understand if I don’t shed a tear at “CQ” getting fired. In fact, Trump should have fired him on January 20. Breitbart News has the story: Trump Fires Gen. Charles ‘CQ’ Brown as Joint Chiefs Chairman, Who Pushed DEI in Air Force:
President Donald Trump on Friday evening fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, who was put in place by former President Joe Biden and pushed diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Air Force…
Brown’s first term as chairman was for a four year term, through 2027. However, the president is free to replace the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — who serves as his top military adviser — whenever he wants.
The firing represents a promise kept by Trump, who vowed to fire “woke generals.”
Brown famously filmed a video amid the George Floyd riots sweeping the nation, in which he called Floyd’s death “tragic,” and said that he was “full of emotion.”
As chief of staff of the Air Force, he also pushed to get more African American and other minorities as officers by telling commanders to recruit more for the “applicant pool” so as to get around explicitly calling for racial quotas.
Also under Brown’s tenure as Air Force chief of staff, Trump’s nominee for under secretary of the Air Force, former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, was fired from his Space Force command after he published a book on Marxism spreading in the U.S. military and discussed his book on a podcast.
Fortunately, President Trump has nominated a strong replacement for the Chairman:
Trump also announced Brown’s replacement — Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, who he got to know during his first administration while directing the U.S. military to eliminate the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. [From President Trump Truth Social Post]:
Today, I am honored to announce that I am nominating Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience.
During my first term, Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military ‘geniuses’ said it would take years to defeat ISIS. General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered.
Despite being highly qualified and respected to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the previous administration, General Caine was passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military.
Shortly after President Trump dismissed General Brown, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti.
Just got word from a senior naval officer:@USNavyCNO Admiral Lisa Franchetti has been fired!
This comes right after the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Brown being let go. pic.twitter.com/HJl7SqSoSS
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) February 22, 2025
You might remember that we have reported on Franchetti as well, who Biden nominated despite her not being supported by prior Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin: Biden Overrides Defense Secretary Recommendation for Navy Chief of Operations, Appoints Woman To Achieve “A First”:
In a stunning, but perhaps predictable move, Joe Biden has nominated Admiral Lisa Franchetti, currently the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, to the position of Chief of Naval Operations, overriding Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s recommendation that Admiral Samuel Paparo, currently Commander of the Pacific Fleet, get the job.
From Fox News: Biden overrules Pentagon, nominates first woman to head Navy
President Biden has overruled the Pentagon and chosen Adm. Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, making her the first woman, if she’s confirmed, to be a Pentagon service chief and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Biden’s decision goes against the recommendation of his Pentagon chief, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who recommended the president select Adm. Samuel Paparo, the current commander of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, according to multiple reports.
Did you catch that? Biden gets a two-fer: He gets to say he is the first President to nominate a woman to lead any service, in this case, the Navy, and he gets to claim that he is the first President to nominate a female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
And before I go any further I would like to make two points:
- First, I have nothing against any women in the United States Navy. I served with many incredible women during my long 31 years in the Navy. In fact, during my last job, when I was Commanding Officer of the Navy ROTC Unit at Cornell University, one of my midshipmen became one of the first three women to ever serve on submarines, and she was fantastic and just as capable as any male submariner. Oh, and I happen to be married to a retired female Navy Captain, so there’s that.
- Second, I throw no stones at Admiral Franchetti. By all accounts, she is an extremely competent naval officer, with a very impressive resume. Some of the things I find especially important in her background are her stint as Captain of USS Ross (DDG-71), a front-line, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, and her flag (admiral) assignments as Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, two aircraft carrier strike group commands, and Commander of the Navy’s Sixth Fleet, based in Italy, and charged with the defense of U.S. interests in the Mediterranean, Africa, and the North Atlantic, among other things.
Here, from Fox News, is what I find disturbing:
In a statement on Friday, Biden noted how Franchetti is an unprecedented choice for such a high-level military post due to her sex, adding that she’s the second woman ever to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the Navy. (emphasis mine)
“As our next chief of naval operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti will bring 38 years of dedicated service to our nation as a commissioned officer, including in her current role of vice chief of naval operations,” Biden continued. “Throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas.”
Additionally disturbing, Biden has intentionally disregarded Secretary Austin’s recommendation of Paparo, who as mentioned is the current Navy Pacific Fleet Commander.
And it turned out that Paparo was an extremely deep thinker (what people today might call a “thought leader”) on China and how today’s Navy might help thwart China’s ambitions. But that didn’t matter…of course, it didn’t.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also fired Air Force Vice Chief of Staff James Slife and the senior lawyers in all three services, and released the following statement on the firings:
This evening the President announced that he intends to nominate Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine, USAF, for the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.
General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment. I look forward to working with him.
The outgoing Chairman, Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Jr., USAF, has served with distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service. I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country.
I am also requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. The incumbents in these important roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers. We thank them for their service and dedication to our country.
We are also requesting nominations for the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars.
– Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
Predictably, X is positively ablaze with all this news:
Statement from @WadeMiller_USMC on the firing of General CQ Brown.
Race essentialism and racial quotas have no place in the United States Military. Brown needed to go.
pic.twitter.com/w6C32Q8upN
— Citizens for Renewing America (@amrenewcitizen) February 22, 2025
The Racist DEI General, with his anti white hatchet, CQ Brown, the Joints Chief of Staff, has been fired by President Trump. Not a day too soon.
Here are Brown's DEI quotas he implemented. pic.twitter.com/z9KJ1a48WU
— Patriot Lady (@angelwoman501) February 22, 2025
Hallelujah.
Trump fired an abject racist in CQ Brown.
There is no room for racism in our military.
Don't believe me?
See the letter he signed below. https://t.co/n3BsTBxUeN pic.twitter.com/hI8FvcknXy
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) February 22, 2025
Biden made Franchetti CNO (Nov.2023)~100% #DEI
She has BS in Journalism & earned an online degree in management from U. Phoenix – commissioned thru NROTC – served 38 yrs – Zero combat, or combat zone, experience.The two prior male CNO's both Annapolis grads w/ combat exposure. https://t.co/kko4Kj3qOs
— Tom T. ن
(@VRWCTexan) February 22, 2025
“Admiral Lisa Franchetti has overseen a U.S. Navy rife with ship collisions, crashes, shooting down of its own aircraft, and ships that exhibit more rust than paint, while the Fleet shrinks.”https://t.co/V7PtuC8j5Q
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) February 16, 2025
Hands in pockets
No single photo sums up Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s short tenure as CNO better. All that’s missing? A rusty warship in the background. https://t.co/il0kaLR6UY pic.twitter.com/lOvqgWnbdm
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) February 22, 2025
PRESIDENT FAFO's FRIDAY NIGHT PURGE: PART 3
Sec. Pete Hegseth just shitcanned the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. Can't imagine why. pic.twitter.com/NJzXqPgS7o
— NizNellie3 (@NizNellie3) February 22, 2025
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Bye bye DEI.
Bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And the good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, This is the end of DEI
This is the end of DEI
Less qualified was an understatement.
Hey, hey
Ho, ho
Affirmative action’s the way to go
Hey, hey
Ho, ho
All good news!
The trouble started with the Tailhook scandal.
My wife and I got married that weekend, kinda/sorta last minute because our original wedding date was interrupted by Saddam Hussein’s stupidity.. My dad, a high-ranking Naval aviator, all his closest friends, my uncles, two of my brothers and some of my friends who were aviators were all at my wedding rather than at Tailhook. We got a lot of grief for the last-minute scheduling…but, never a peep afterward, just gratitude.
Bye Lisa!
Maybe now we can restore some professionalism to the USN and get the rust off our billion dollar warships.
All the DEI people shold be on the prep and paint squad.
United States Senator Adam Schiff is displeased. Representative James Clyburn is displeased, Senator Mark Kelly is displeased, Representative Betty McCollum is displeased.
President Trump must have done something right based on these reviews.
I am very pleased.
More than these firings will be needed. We have far, far too many Flag Officers (Generals and Admirals), more today in fact than in WWII. Wait till the reduction in force size begins and the Army goes down to something like 30 Combat Brigades along with cuts elsewhere. Add the redeployment away from many current foreign bases to focus on our own hemisphere…. That will cause real frenzied screaming and wailing.
The military is full of little micro-managing standards like the “no hands in ur pockets” standard. In Berlin I recall one Sgt Major who was peeved when he caught me (in winter) wearing gloves because I was from a neighboring command and his command had both “no pockets: and “no gloves” as policy.
Back in the late 80s it became popular for flag rank commanders to have at least one of their officer aides be a female, because it was against policy to use an umbrella in uniform – unless you were female. So a (say) one star could avoid getting his expensive cover (hat) ruined by the rain as the female aide followed him around like Mary Poppins keeping him dry whilst getting wet herself.
So…. the previous CNO did have ONE common sense good idea, if it’s below freezing keep ur damn hands warm.
Other than that, it’s not a bad idea to keep your personal (and ships) looking good as opposed to like wannabe hood rats and rusty tramp steamers.
LOL. The hands in the pocket prohibition is as old as time. The ‘gloves’ thing is…peculiar. Are you talking about walking around in garrison or during formation? Some COs (usually Company 1stSgts) demand uniformity while in formation. So, if one person forgets their gloves, no one is wearing gloves. But, I’ve never seen a broad ‘no glove’ policy on base, so long as you’re in the appropriate uniform. In fact, I don’t believe base command would have that discretion under current uniform regs (at least in Navy/Marines).
I have seen flag officers (and some field grade officers) abuse subordinate service members for umbrella ‘detail,’ just as you describe, although never on a Marine Corps base. No Marine officer I’ve ever known would be caught dead hiding under an umbrella, not even in the JAG corps.
The sgt major encounter was in garrison (if not mine), the command had a calendar based “no gloves” window, but there was a cold spell at the time. I was visiting some 11 bang-bang friends but still in uniform for an after work D&D session.
Friendly inter service joke….
Q: How do you rank the uniformed services by how gung-ho they are?
A: Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Air Force.
In Berlin there was an Air Force dining facility at Templehof open to the other services as well. Round tables with tablecloths instead of regular tables, fine china and actual silverware, officer level eats for everyone. You could visit occasionally for a change of pace.
I worked out of Tuefelsberg (The Devil’s’s Mountain), built on too of an artificial mountain made from all the WWII rubble from allied bombing. Arguably world’s biggest mass grave, to be morbid about it. Loved to work the night shift, because army cooks being cooks liked to keep their skills up, so they’d cook the expensive stuff like lobster and steak not-out-a-can on that shift because it was the smallest shift. So I only bothered to eat at the AF mess a few times.
That glove thing is bizarre and I don’t believe it. I was on a number of military bases in my career and when it was cold none had a “no gloves” policy including Germany. The no hands in pockets is a thing, however and has always been. Standing around in in camo’s at an official function with hands in the pockets is sloppy. The camo thing maybe depending on what was going on but the hands in the pockets, no way.
Again, this was a particular command in the Berlin Brigade, and they based the allowable use on gloves in garrison on the calendar instead of the day’s temp. So, no shit, I was there.
Do you find it any more bizarre than (say) the occasional internet reference to a door with “no entry allowed” signs on both sides? Bureaucracy is…. bureaucracy, if you can get dinged for following stupid and illogical petty rules, you’ll find someone willing to ding you for it.
When I was in the Army in the mid-70s, here in CONUS you weren’t allowed to wear your fatigue uniform off-post except for travel from and to home (for those who lived off-post).
And yes, no hands-in-pockets allowed.
I also remember brown-shoe army (mostly senior NCOs) types who smoked, who collected their cig ashes in a cupped hand, and put them into a fatigue pants pocket. That’s where the butt went too, when finished. You didn’t throw trash of any kind on the ground.
Best of all, these moves must really displease THE CHINESE!
I nominate Captain Nault as Navy JAG. Fast attack CO. Maybe we could get better rules of engagement if the guy writing them actually knew what the war fighters went through.
He’d be great , wouldn’t he?
Thanks Honey
Hey thanks! That would be awesome, although I’d have to get recalled to active duty, and then do a line (subs) to staff (JAG) transfer, but what’s a little paperwork. The more important question is do my old uniforms fit…LOL
There is an old song that applies: “This could be the start of something big!”
Thankful for the knowledgeable comments and the service of the commenters here.
Just another day in moronAmerica. The ignorant, racist cult cheers. SMh
Shut up, Johnny.
Can we use real paint for our ships so they don’t look like they’re about to fall apart?