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Donald Trump fired General CQ Brown as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, ousting the respected Air Force leader as the president looks to remove military officers who have supported diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth also fired two other top officers: chief of naval operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Air Force vice-chief of staff General James Slife. The surprise Friday night firings were sure to jolt the US military, which Trump has vowed to rid of what he derides as “woke” DEI programmes.
Brown, the second Black general to serve as the military’s top officer, began what was supposed to be a four-year term in October 2023.
“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social Platform.
“He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.”
Trump said he would nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to replace Brown.
This is a developing story.
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