Hegseth Fires Chief of Naval Operations: The Only Woman on the Joint Chiefs

And so it goes, and so it goes. Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, call sign “Stone Cold Idiot” from here until I am done with it, and undoubtedly with the blessing of Commander in Chief President Donald Trump, has fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first female officer to rise to the Navy’s top job of chief of naval operations and one of eight officers that had made up the Joint Chiefs. As we have come to expect, Hegseth’s past indicates that he found Franchetti to be too into “DEI” for his tastes. Note, there is no allegation that the Admiral was in any way underperforming in the job itself, no indication that a simple order from on high to cease all DEI programs couldn’t have assuaged Hegseth’s concerns regarding Franchetti, none. She is gone and one cannot help but think that, given the earlier firing of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General C.Q. Brown – a black man, that the two non-white men on the Joint Chiefs were seen as almost “automatic” diversity hires, without even entertaining the possibility that they were there on merit alone. So it goes, and so it goes.

It is not like Franchetti hadn’t proved herself as a warrior of the type that Hegseth says he needs in the Defense Department. She had spent half her time in the Navy at sea:

 She spent roughly half of her 40-year career at sea, rising to command the destroyer U.S.S. Ross, and later a destroyer squadron, two aircraft carrier strike groups, all naval forces in Korea and the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea.

Just as soon as Hegseth commands one carrier strike group, I’ll be prepared to listen to him explain why he would ever fire someone so capable. I am willing to wager that a person gets one shot at commanding a carrier group and if it isn’t done exactly as commanded, there will be no do-overs. She earned a second command, not to mention then moving up to Flag rank and becoming Chief of Naval Operations, the first woman ever in that position. Obviously, she was a DEI hire, isn’t as good as the men, and thus had to go. We know, because of the eight people on the Joint Chiefs, the two non-white men were fired. We know it’s a sick joke.

Let’s get into it a bit, shall we? I don’t know anything about Admiral Franchetti. I do know that even if the military was wholly dedicated to all things “equal opportunity” it doesn’t promote people just to be promoting people. Moreover, there is often a reason that the military, or Exxon, or Apple, whatever, seeks out people who come from different backgrounds, whether it is a woman, a Black man, an LGBTQ American, doesn’t matter. Doing so often gets insight that wouldn’t necessarily occur to a guy like me, who has been ensconced in “White man America” his entire life. There are concerns out there that fly right over my head – not a big deal, so long as I’m aware of the fact that I’m only seeing part of the picture, and thus an imperative that I seek out different views. So to the extent that Admiral Franchetti made it a priority to “enlist” DEI programs, the type that simply further understanding among people from different backgrounds, isn’t it possible that she did so knowing something that Hegseth and Trump don’t know? It is not only possible, it’s almost a certainty. The U.S. military hired her to command, promoted her through command, only to then doubt her judgment once she rises to the top? Bullsh*t. This is a reverse DEI fire – nothing more, nothing more than symbolism, and tragic at that.

Having said that Admiral Franchetti likely did have reasons for supporting the programs she supported, none of that DEI stuff matters in the slightest when she has to have her carrier turn into the wind to catch airplanes. She could either do it very well, or she couldn’t. The record states with no equivocation that she was more than capable, having commanded an entire carrier group, twice – only to then be promoted again, and again.

Perhaps I am being a bit naive – I hope not, but I am thinking that just about every single one of Trump’s voters that hate DEI, nearly all of them, if forced into a meeting with Admiral Franchetti, one in which she was unquestionably in command of the room and her sailors, would walk away thinking, “Well, she is certainly fine… ” And not doubting anything about where she found herself at the pinnacle of a 40 year career. It is almost enough to want to apologize to her on the American people’s behalf. Thankfully, as a somewhat consolation prize, corporate America usually doesn’t have time to worry about who supported what and when, confining themselves solely to getting the best people. The admiral will surely wind up making six times the amount of money on the board at Chase Visa, Exxon, Apple, whomever.

Nonetheless, she certainly did deserve better than this. Sec. Hegseth should be embarrassed. In an ethical world, he should have to write down the reasons that he believes she needed to be let go. Supporting DEI programs isn’t enough. She sure did a whole lot more than that in her career. He could say, “No more DEI” and let her continue her command. After all, no one is looking for equal opportunity when it’s time to turn that group into the wind… Anchors away, Admiral. It will be half fun watching you prove them wrong.

God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter-X at @JasonMiciak, and please follow me on Bluesky.

donated and are able to help us, it would be appreciated. I have every confidence the now-depressed Democats will rejoin us. Right now, if you’re here reading this you’re a hard core political junkie and together we have to hold the line. Thanks. Ursula

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