Defense Secretary Pete Hesete fired the Navy Staff Jon Harrison on Friday, an unusually powerful top aid that had arranged a reconciling of the service bureaucracy.
The sudden expulsion, according to two defense officials and a former defense officer, follows the confirmation this week of Marine -Union Secretary Hung Cao.
The Pentagon confirmed the departure of Harrison in a statement. “He will no longer serve as staff chef of the navy secretary,” said it. “We are grateful for his service to the department.”
Harrison refused to comment.
The staff chef of the Navy Secretary has traditionally been a job behind the scenes, the senior assistant who keeps everything smooth. But Harrison, an appointed Trump administration that came to the service in January, had a rare level of power.
Harrison and Marine Secretary John Phelan had made major changes to the policy of the Navy and Budgetary Offices and tried to limit the influence of the under -secretary track.
Politico previously reported that Phelan and Harrison had re -assigned various assistants to help the CAO by navigating the role as soon as he confirmed. They were also planning to interview all future military assistants for the collective agreement to ensure that decisions came from the secretary's office.
CAO is a controversial navy veteran and former Republican senate candidate in Virginia who has nominated President Donald Trump for the position.
The expulsion follows months of musical seats in the Pentagon. Earlier this year, Hegseeth fired various top employees and removed the chairman of the joint leaders, as well as the uniformed leaders of the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
Trump has sworn to breathe new life into the shipbuilding industry. But the largest service programs are behind schedule for years and both American allies and the greatest opponents surpass the productivity of American shipyards.
