“Diversity Advocate Admiral Removed in Quiet Pentagon Shake-Up”
Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, the United States military representative to NATO’s Military Committee, has been relieved of her position, according to multiple NATO officials and a diplomat from a NATO country familiar with the matter. The officials, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, did not disclose the reason for the dismissal.
Chatfield’s removal comes amid a period of transition in U.S. defense and foreign policy, with broader implications for the transatlantic alliance. The change in leadership follows last week’s Senate confirmation of Matthew Whitaker as the new U.S. Ambassador to NATO and precedes a series of high-level meetings among NATO defense ministers focused on strengthening European defense and coordinating additional military assistance to Ukraine.
The decision also coincides with several other high-profile personnel changes within the U.S. military. In February, the administration dismissed Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, along with other senior officials including Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife and Lieutenant General Jennifer Short, who served as a senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. More recently, General Timothy Haugh, head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, was also relieved of his position without a publicly stated reason.
Vice Admiral Chatfield, a career naval aviator and the first female president of the Naval War College, previously served in NATO leadership roles in both Brussels and Mons, Belgium. She was appointed to her current role after Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) lifted a months-long hold on military promotions in 2023, which had delayed hundreds of nominations in protest of the Pentagon’s reproductive healthcare travel policy.
Chatfield had previously attracted attention for public comments promoting diversity and dialogue during her tenure at the Naval War College, which drew criticism from some conservative commentators and officials. Defense Secretary Hegseth has spoken against diversity initiatives in the military, arguing they detract from readiness and cohesion. The Department of Defense has not commented publicly on Chatfield’s removal.
The personnel shifts come as NATO explores new leadership structures that could recalibrate the United States’ role within the alliance. Secretary Hegseth is not expected to attend the upcoming in-person meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters, though officials indicated he may participate virtually. The U.S. previously chaired this coalition of over 50 nations before leadership was transferred to Germany and the United Kingdom.
Instead, Secretary Hegseth is scheduled to travel to Panama to visit U.S. Army Special Forces operating in Central and South America. The region has recently been a focus of the administration’s strategic interests.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/07/trump-fires-a-top-u-s-military-official-to-nato-00007055
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