Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the only woman on NATO’s military committee, was dismissed over the weekend by the Trump administration, U.S. officials confirmed Monday.
Although no official explanation was provided, sources familiar with the matter said the firing appears linked to Chatfield’s support for diversity within the military.
Chatfield received a call from Adm. Christopher Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, informing her that the administration wanted to move in a different direction.
Officials believe the decision was made last week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though it remains unclear whether former President Donald Trump was directly involved.
Three U.S. officials, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the personnel issue, confirmed the firing.
This marks the third dismissal of a high-ranking female officer during Trump’s tenure. In February, Hegseth announced the firing of Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan was also removed, just one day after Trump took office.
Both Trump and Hegseth have publicly opposed what they describe as “woke” policies in the military, and there has been a broad effort to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. That campaign has included removing DEI-related content from military websites and social media.
Chatfield had been identified by the conservative American Accountability Foundation as one of the military leaders promoting “woke” ideology.
The group urged Hegseth to remove such individuals, arguing that the focus of the armed forces should be on combat effectiveness, not social issues.
A decorated Navy helicopter pilot, Chatfield previously led a joint reconstruction team in Afghanistan and served as one of NATO’s 32 military committee representatives.
The committee advises the North Atlantic Council and NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group, serving as the link between NATO’s political leadership and its military structure.
The foundation’s letter to Hegseth cited several examples of Chatfield’s support for DEI, including a 2015 speech on Women’s Equality Day and a LinkedIn post about a diversity summit. She was quoted as saying, “Our diversity is our strength,” a phrase Hegseth has publicly criticized.
Chatfield is originally from Garden Grove, California. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University, a master’s from Harvard, and a doctorate from the University of San Diego.
Her military service includes deployments to the Pacific and Persian Gulf, and she previously served as senior military assistant to NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Her honors include the Bronze Star.
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said he was “deeply disturbed” by Chatfield’s removal. “Trump’s relentless attacks on our alliances and his careless dismissal of decorated military officials make us less safe and weaken our position across the world,” Warner wrote on X.
The broader effort to remove DEI programs has sparked criticism from lawmakers and the public, particularly in response to the erasure of military leaders and historical content from official channels.
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