In response to the story “Pentagon launches policy for testosterone screening” in the Courant, I’ll paraphrase Shakespeare: “Hark! What creep through yonder window breaks?”
As an honorably discharged U.S. Navy veteran who has served at sea and on staff duty in Washington, it seems to me that current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposed testosterone screening initiative plays a game with American service men — while denigrating highly-qualified women in the U.S. armed forces.
Small wonder that growing numbers of responsible Republicans are calling for Hegseth’s impeachment. Indeed, GOP House Leader Johnson’s well-reported early and feckless closing of Congress this past week only delayed the growing Republican-supported impeachment movement.
Hegseth’s biography notes his last rank was as a major in the National Guard (paygrade O-4), the only U.S. military force empowered to function in a state status.
Nationally, as in his mind a de facto “field marshal,” he assumes five-star rank (paygrade O-11) — if the U.S. military still needed one (it’s hard to compete with a West Point graduate, the late General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhauer, et al.).
In Hegseth’s current appointed role, he has blocked men and women Army colonels and Navy captains from being promoted to the one-star rank of brigadier general or rear admiral. He has fired U.S. Army Chief of Staff (four-star) General Randy A. George, as well as the 33rd (and first woman) U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, (four-star) Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti — among many other seasoned senior officers who worked their way up the chain of command on merit to serve at much-needed high levels.
Hegseth should not be allowed to capriciously decimate America’s senior military leadership. It’s time to call Hegseth to public account for his treatment of American military personnel.
It should be clear that Hegseth is imperiling U.S. national defense at a difficult time.
Peter Kilduff, New Britain