M.A.D.
From Nat South
A series of snapshots. Today’s focus: M for Military.
24.
Not 24 hours, but 24 generals and admirals removed from their posts by the Trump administration. But that 24th dismissal? It’s a whole different and dramatic story that needs unravelling due to the implications and questions it raises.
Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host who has openly talked about bombing people “back to the Stone Age” and who holds some surreal and extreme evangelical views, apparently hasn’t liked what he’s been hearing from the top brass lately. And here’s the thing: abruptly firing your highest-ranking military officers doesn’t exactly scream “we’re winning.”
The really shocking announcement was the sacking of Army Chief of Staff, General Randy George. Sure, the military has always had its fair share of “yes men,” but this administration is putting outright sycophancy front and centre, beyond what has ever happened in the past. The latest casualties also include general David Hodne, who leads the Army’s Transformation and Training Command and Major General William Green Jr., in charge of the Army’s Chaplain Corps.
Instantly sacking your Chief of Staff in the middle of what is arguably the most intense and extensive U.S. military operation in over two decades is wild and unprecedented to say the least. Doing it without giving any explanation to the U.S. public or politicians is a major crisis in itself. It raises a whole load of questions about the high-level institutional cohesion, signals more tensions, potentially leading to more fractures in the system.
For context, the Army Chief of Staff is the crucial bridge between the military and politics. This is a 4-star general with decades of experience whose job is to give the White House and Pentagon the information, facts as they are. He literally signs the orders putting soldiers, sailors, and aviators into combat, whether that’s assaulting a fortified nuclear facility, taking a beach in the Strait of Hormuz, or seizing islands in the Persian Gulf.
The soundness of the decision-making structure has been impeded, reinforcing the image of increasing narrative controls by top political officials. So, what did Gen. George do to get “retired effective immediately” by the ex-news presenter? He probably raised justified concerns. It’s highly likely he tried to push back against an impending disaster by pointing out that the administration didn’t even have a Plan B, relying on militarily incoherent massive strikes, mostly on civilian infrastructure, as well as piecemeal preparations for ground troops. The lack of strategy within White House is causing growing resentment and resistance within the military.
What’s worse, is the suspiciously quiet response by the U.S. legacy MSM. Mostly ignoring the significant impact of such dismissals. Some are still cheerleading the administration toward the edge of the cliff. Aside from an NBC report blaming delayed promotions on things like race and politics, the coverage has been eerily quiet so far.
But while some of the top brass is being purged, something just as telling is happening on the ground within military ranks. According to just one nonprofit, (MEE, 9 March) organisation, conscientious objection filings are up a staggering 1,000%. Many of those service members are explicitly citing the horrific double-tap strike on a school in Minab as their breaking point.
The increasing signs of low morale within the ranks fits with the reality on the ground. Who wants to be deployed to a conflict that was supposed to last a week, then a month, and is now dragging on indefinitely with zero exit strategy? The prospect of another endless, high-tempo meat grinder, basically an Iraq or Afghanistan redux, is making people think twice about signing up or staying in the military. We’ve already seen what happened to the USS Gerald Ford, the aircraft carrier with morale issues as well as toilet woes, that is now under repairs in Italy.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Apparently, active-duty troops are intentionally failing mandatory drug screenings, just to use the policy as a loophole to get out of being deployed to the Middle East. Let that sink in: people are willing to risk an “other than honorable” discharge, something that can ruin their post-military life, rather than go fight this war with Iran. These are clear signs of a deepening morale crisis unlike anything we’ve seen since probably the Vietnam era, (but with a twist, as all U.S. military are professional members).
Sure, there will always be lackeys willing to mindlessly follow Hegseth’s brutal orders, but there are some in the ranks that are furious. The New York Times reported that senior military officers reacted with absolute anger and frustration over Gen. George’s dismissal. The myth of the infallible U.S. military institution is taking heavy fire from the inside and this is just the first month.
If you’re wondering where this all started, look back to December 2025. That’s when Admiral Alvin Holsey stepped down. His sin? He apparently dared to ask if it was actually legal to launch U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-running boats in the Caribbean.
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I saw some rumors the Army Chief of Staff was fired for leaking war plans. FWIW.