Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed nine officers from a Navy promotion list, ensuring no women reach the rank of one-star admiral this year.The intervention specifically excluded three women and two Black men from a slate of thirty-one candidates previously approved by military leadership.Military analysts warn that the move signals a career ceiling and follows the unexplained dismissal of top-ranking officers including Lisa Franchetti.Pentagon spokesman
Sean Parnell maintains that all promotions are strictly merit-based despite growing criticism regarding the influence of partisan politics.