1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to call for immediate public oversight hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s reported removal of senior military leaders and apparent disregard of formal warnings from combatant commanders during an active conflict. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll reportedly resigned after repeated disagreements with Secretary Hegseth over the removal of senior Army leaders, including Army Chief of Staff General Randy George. Before resigning, Driscoll reportedly warned White House officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, about the scope of these dismissals. His departure leaves the Army, the nation’s largest military service, without Senate confirmed leadership at either the civilian secretary or uniformed chief of staff level during wartime. Since Secretary Hegseth took office, more than two dozen senior military officers have reportedly been fired or sidelined without public explanation. The Army alone is said to have declined from ten four star generals to five. Combatant commanders have also reportedly filed formal objections to current operational decisions. According to the August 14 Secretary of Defense Orders Book, commanders of European Command, Indo Pacific Command, and Southern Command, along with the Navy’s senior admiral, recorded formal non concurs regarding orders extending force commitments to the Iran campaign. A non concur does not prevent an order from being carried out, but it represents an official objection when a commander believes a mission presents unacceptable risk. Multiple commands filing such objections raises serious questions about operational tempo and readiness. Ships, aircraft, and other equipment intended for Europe, the Indo Pacific, and Latin America have reportedly been redirected to the Middle East, potentially weakening readiness elsewhere. Congress has a constitutional responsibility under Article I to oversee the leadership, funding, supply, and readiness of the armed forces. This is not merely a personnel dispute. It may be a readiness crisis unfolding during an active conflict. Please call emergency hearings, require the Department of Defense to provide Congress with all written non concurs and deployment risk assessments, and use Congress’s Title 10 authority to pause any unilateral reduction of four star billets until an independent wartime readiness assessment is completed. Our troops and country need transparent oversight and responsible action, not silence.