Overview

• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fired top military legal officials and is nominating replacements as part of a sweeping overhaul of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
• Hegseth has appointed his personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore, a former Navy officer and Trump defense attorney, to oversee the reform efforts.
• The planned changes reportedly include retraining military lawyers to provide commanders with broader legal discretion and leniency in prosecuting battlefield offenses.
• Hegseth has criticized current rules of engagement as overly restrictive and has expressed disdain for international human rights treaties like the Geneva Conventions.
• Critics warn that these reforms could undermine accountability and increase the risk of civilian harm and war crimes in military operations.