The purge of top U.S. military officials reached a new plateau this week with the nomination of Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve to replace Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus, according to reporting at Politico.
The choice of LaNeve sent a clear message. “[Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth’s latest move to place his senior military aide in a top Army post represents one of his most assertive steps yet in determining who shapes the future of the Pentagon,” the report stated. President Donald Trump nominated Lt. Gen. LaNeve to replace Gen. Mingus even before the four-star general’s departure was announced, turning a service that has remained largely immune from leadership purges into the epicenter of them.
Politico noted that this effort differs from Hegseth’s other high-profile dismissals in that he personally chose the replacement. The aim is to substitute a widely respected leader, not even two years into his job, with a less experienced candidate who would require a promotion to take on the role.
“Hegseth wants his guy in,” a defense official said. “Who he replaces doesn’t matter.”
The news of Hegseth’s potential replacement ricocheted through the Pentagon and hit especially hard in the Army. The removal of Gen. Mingus is just the latest in a whirlwind of moves supporting the notion that purges are underway on Hegseth’s watch.
These changes come amid other unexpected departures in the military’s top ranks. Less than a week before LaNeve’s nomination, Adm. Alvin Holsey, who is overseeing military operations against alleged drug boats off Venezuela, announced a surprise early retirement set for December, according to Defense News.
About a month earlier, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of the Air Force’s Global Strike Command, suddenly announced his retirement, citing “personal and family reasons.” This followed the early retirement announcement of Gen. David Alvin, head of the Air Force, just a little over a month prior.
Together, these developments highlight significant shifts within top military leadership under Secretary Hegseth’s tenure.
https://www.rawstory.com/pete-hegseth-2674231985/
