1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent intervention in the Navy promotion process, which blocked the advancement of seven qualified officers. This unprecedented move directly undermines the integrity of our military leadership and appears to violate the rules of an apolitical, merit-based system.  While the Secretary and the Trump administration claim that this intervention aligns with a philosophy of making the process strictly merit-based, the reality is the exact opposite. By overriding a selection board of senior Navy admirals to target specific individuals—including two women and two Black men—the process has instead become explicitly dictated by sex and race.  Crucially, this is not an isolated incident; it is a blatant, documented pattern. The Secretary previously took the exact same rogue action by overriding Army selection boards to block qualified women and Black officers from becoming one-star generals, alongside firing multiple top-tier diverse commanders without explanation. Yet, he has not been called to task.  It is time to ring the alarm bell. This systemic overreaching compromises the readiness and fairness of our Armed Forces, severely damages morale, and ruins recruitment. Allowing political appointees to override objective military selection boards sets a dangerous, destructive precedent.  Our service members deserve a promotion system based on actual honor and earned merit, not targeted political purges. As my representative, I urge you to speak out publicly and exercise your oversight authority. Please investigate these interventions, hold the Department of Defense accountable, and ensure that qualified leaders are not unfairly stripped of their advancements. Thank you for your time and your urgent attention to this critical matter.