Overview

• Pentagon officials confirmed that Jon Harrison was removed as chief of staff to the Secretary of the Navy, with reporting tying the timing to the Senate’s confirmation of Navy undersecretary Hung Cao.
• Roughly 800 senior commanders were summoned to Quantico on September 30, where Pete Hegseth promoted a “warrior ethos” and attacked DEI policies as President Trump described a “war from within” and suggested using dangerous U.S. cities as military “training grounds.”
• Retired and current officers criticized the event as politicizing the military and warned of risks to morale, readiness and legal norms, with some attendees describing the speeches as embarrassing and non‑substantive.
• Hegseth has launched changes to inspector‑general processes that would accelerate preliminary credibility reviews and track repeat complainants, even as he faces scrutiny over reported use of Signal to discuss Yemen strike plans.
• The controversy comes as a shutdown threatens active‑duty paychecks by October 15 unless Congress acts, intensifying debate over Pentagon spending priorities versus support for troops, families and veterans.