Uncertainty Looms Over Pentagon Leadership as Top Officials Step Down

As President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration draws near, the Pentagon and armed services face leadership uncertainty because top officials are stepping down on Monday. This lack of leadership comes when the Trump government struggles to fill critical political positions.

As usual, all political appointees leave their jobs at noon EST on Inauguration Day. This leaves hundreds of key defense posts open, such as Secretary of Defense and service secretaries. Officials say there isn't yet an acting defense secretary, so the Army, Navy, and Air Force chiefs of staff are preparing to fill in for now.

In the Army, Gen. Randy George, in charge of the staff, will likely be the secretary. Gen. David Allvin, the chief of staff for the Air Force, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the chief of the Navy, are also ready to step in for the current leaders. Such events don't happen very often, but they have happened before.

Arnold Punaro, a former general in the Marine Corps Reserve, saw a similar thing happen in 1993 when Adm. Frank Kelso was President Bill Clinton's acting Navy secretary. Punaro said, "Usually, you don't want active-duty military in civilian jobs, but sometimes practical realities get in the way."

Political differences and economic disagreements make the transition harder. Some leaders from the Biden administration have turned down the chance to work temporarily for the new government because they are worried about possible policy changes.

Also, President-elect Trump and Pete Hegseth, nominated for Defense Secretary, have promised to eliminate what they call "woke" generals. This will make the leadership system even less stable. As part of his confirmation meeting, Hegseth said, "Every senior officer will be reviewed based on merit, standards, lethality, and commitment to legal orders."

Gen. CQ Brown is currently the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If he is fired, Vice Head Adm. Christopher Grady will take over until a new chairman is chosen.

Transitions at the Pentagon have been different in the past. On Inauguration Day 2017, Jim Mattis was approved as Defense Secretary, ensuring things would stay the same. In 2009, President Barack Obama kept Robert Gates as Defense Secretary so the transition would go smoothly.

This year's transition is more challenging than usual because Trump's government wants to change how the military is led while filling a leadership gap. As officials rush to handle the change, it's clear how crucial civilian control is for keeping the military stable during changes.

In the next few days, we'll see how ready the Pentagon is to handle this unprecedented leadership uncertainty.

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