The civilian leadership at DOD has relieved two more senior officers in the past few days. The reliefs started with the Commandant of the Coast Guard – Admiral Linda Fagen, the Chair of the Joint Chiefs – CQ Brown, several of his subordinates on the Joint Chiefs including CNO Lisa Franchetti and the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant General James Slife.
Also fired in the first big round of reliefs were the Inspectors General of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Army Lieutenant General Joseph B. Berger III, Navy Rear Admiral Lia M. Reynolds, and Air Force Lieutenant General Charles L. Plummer respectively.
Now on to the latest reliefs.
Let’s start in Brussels with the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee, Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield who was fired last week.
While there was no reason given for her firing initially, it has since come to light that she refused to put up the traditional official photographs of the President and Vice President. She also made multiple statements about waiting out the current administration.
Well, she’s gone, so there will be no waiting for her. Or her career.
Then there is Space Force Col. Susan Meyers. Until this week, she was the commander of the US base in Pituffik Greenland. For you oldsters out there, that is the current name of the old Thule AFB.
Anyway, good Colonel Meyers decided to send an all-hands email that she wasn’t backing up the things that VP Vance said during his visit last week.
Bad enough right? It’s worse than that as the email was sent to everyone on base, including the Danes and Greenlanders that worked there.
Needless to say she was fired for it.
Here is the issue as I see it. There are no real consequences for this kind of behavior. Until and unless an officer faces prosecution for violations of UCMJ articles 88, 92 and 133* there is no incentive to change.
*Article 88 covers disrespect of an elected official, 92 covers refusal to obey orders and 133 is conduct unbecoming.