Washington, United States – Politico magazine quoted Pentagon officials on Saturday. They confirmed that Secretary of War Pete Higseth had dismissed US Navy Chief of Staff John Harrison from his position.
The sudden dismissal, according to defense officials, follows the confirmation of the appointment of Under Secretary of the Navy, Hong Cao, this week.
The Pentagon confirmed Harrison’s departure in a statement.
“He will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy,” the statement said. We are grateful for his service to the Ministry.”
This comes as US President Donald Trump announced that he will “host a tribute to the US Navy in Norfolk, Virginia.”
“This will be the largest celebration in the history of the Navy,” he stressed.
“I am proud to announce that on Sunday, October 5, I will host a Fleet Salute in Norfolk, Virginia, to honor our brave men and women of the U.S. Navy,” Trump said. Our wonderful First Lady will join me, as will the great Secretary of War, Pete Higseth. Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, will also be present as we celebrate 250 years of naval dominance in the United States.
“Rare salad”
The Navy Chief of Staff, the senior aide who keeps work running smoothly, has long been behind the scenes.
But Harrison, a Trump administration appointee who joined the service last January, had rare power.
Harrison and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan had made radical changes to the Navy’s policy and budget offices.
They also sought to limit the influence of the undersecretary’s position.
Politico previously reported that Phelan and Harrison reappointed a number of assistants. These assistants were supposed to help Cao perform his duties immediately after his confirmation.
They also planned to interview all of Cao’s future military aides to ensure decisions were made by the minister’s office.
This dismissal comes after months of dismissals within the Pentagon. Higseth led these by ousting a number of his senior aides earlier this year.
Among them were the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a number of military commanders of the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
