In a surprising shake-up at the Pentagon, two high-ranking military officials have been replaced within just a week. While their departures seem to stem from different circumstances, they highlight Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s efforts to reorganize the military’s leadership structure.

The first change involves Lieutenant General Joseph McGee, who held the position of Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy on the Joint Staff, also known as the J5. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s official website, the J5 is responsible for proposing strategic recommendations to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ensuring these are aligned with national security objectives, coordinated with international partners, and considerate of the combatant commanders’ requirements, all while evaluating risks tied to the National Military Strategy.

McGee’s military career is distinguished by numerous achievements. He led companies in the elite 1st and 2d Ranger Battalions, a challenging role that few could endure without significant stress. He also commanded the 1st Battalion, 327 Infantry, within the 101st Airborne Division and later led a brigade combat team in the same division. With an impressive collection of commendations and ten deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan, McGee’s service record is commendable.

The turning point came when McGee found himself at odds with the strategic direction advocated by Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine. His exit was marked by a brief announcement: “Lt Gen. JP McGee will retire after nearly three years of outstanding leadership and service on the Joint Staff. We are grateful for his 35 years of honorable and dedicated service to the Nation. We owe him a great debt for his service and it is regrettable anonymous sources would put the focus anywhere else.”

According to CNN, the underlying issue was McGee’s repeated “pushback” on Hegseth and Caine’s strategic priorities, which ranged from the handling of situations in Russia and Ukraine to military engagements in the Caribbean. This disagreement ultimately led to his departure.

The backstory, according to CNN, is his disagreement with Hegseth and Caine over strategic priorities. McGee, it was said, had frequently “pushed back” against Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine on issues ranging from Russia and Ukraine to military operations in the Caribbean. 

Another source told CNN that McGee has been a marked man for a while. He was promoted to three-star in May 2024. In December, Joe Biden renominated him to three-star rank, which means the J5 position was just a holding pattern until something better opened up. That nomination expired with the end of the 118th Congress, and President Trump has not renominated him. That was a sure sign that he was headed toward retirement.

His close relationship with the disgraced former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, and Secretary of Defense and Unauthorized Absences Lloyd Austin, more likely than not, had a lot to do with the decision to forego his renomination. The “push back” was probably fed by the knowledge that his career was basically over.

BACKGROUND:

Trump’s Radical Choice for Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Could Rattle the Military Establishment – RedState