Female Admiral at NATO Who Was on 'Woke' List Gets Fired

The Trump administration has, for the third time, fired a top female military officer. US Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the sole woman on NATO's military committee, was ousted over the weekend, reportedly due to her support for diversity in the military, the AP reports. Sources say Adm. Christopher Grady, acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, informed Chatfield that the administration wanted a change in direction. She was one of the targets appearing on a list of so-called "woke" senior military officers that the conservative American Accountability Foundation sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling on him to "[purge] the woke from the military."

The sources say Hegseth is believed to be behind the decision to terminate Chatfield, but it's not clear whether Trump himself gave Hegseth the order. Her firing is part of a broader effort by the administration to remove military leaders promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the armed forces. Other female officers dismissed under Trump include Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first female chief of naval operations, and Adm. Linda Fagan, the first female leader of the Coast Guard (or any branch of the military).

Among the apparent strikes against Chatfield is the fact that she said "our diversity is our strength," a quote Hegseth has decried more than once. Chatfield, a Navy helicopter pilot, served in Afghanistan, the Pacific, and the Persian Gulf. She was awarded a Bronze Star for her service and held advanced degrees from prestigious universities. Her removal, given her post at NATO headquarters, adds yet more uncertainty to the US role in the alliance, Politico reports. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)