Hegseth fires Navy chief of staff

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired Navy Chief of Staff Jon Harrison on Friday, the Department of War said.

Harrison was appointed in January to lead as the Navy’s chief of staff, working alongside Navy Secretary John Phelan to implement organizational changes under Hegseth’s new leadership. A War Department official confirmed Harrison’s removal to the Daily Caller News Foundation, thanking the former chief of staff for his service.

“He will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy,” the statement read. “We are grateful for his service to the Department.”

According to two defense officials and a former defense official, sources told Politico that Harrison’s firing was “sudden,” coming after he and Phelan worked to implement sweeping changes in policy and budgeting offices.

The removal comes just days after retired Navy Captain and former Republican Senate candidate in Virginia Hung Cao was confirmed as Undersecretary of the Navy on Wednesday.

In July, Phelan and Harrison reportedly reassigned the top two aides who were to assist Cao as he awaited confirmation, Politico reported. The officials also planned to interview all future military assistants assigned to work with Cao, allegedly aiming to limit the influence of the role.

During his confirmation hearing in June, Cao said that “years of neglect and mismanagement” had caused issues with ships, aircraft, and submarines, adding that the department “cannot solve the problems of tomorrow with the solutions of yesterday.”

The Department has seen major leadership shakeups, including Hegseth’s firing of Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse from his role as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in August, adding to a growing list of officials removed under the new leadership.

Harrison did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

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