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Donald Trump aims to create new ‘warrior board’, claims report; his first executive order may be a…
Trump's transition team has prepared an executive order draft for the President-elect's desk that would create a “warrior board”, giving power to fire generals.
President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has prepared an executive order draft for the President-elect's desk that would create a “warrior board”, which would have the authority to fire any three- or four-star generals it deems appropriate. The board would then submit its suggestions for dismissal to Trump and that would be required to be implemented within 30 days.
Under the draft executive order, it would become easier to dismiss military personnel who are “lacking in requisite leadership qualities”, reported The Wall Street Journal.
General George C. Marshall established a “plucking board” in 1940, with retired general officers serving as its members, to “remove from line promotion any officer for reasons deemed good and sufficient.” It was not designed to weed out anyone who wasn't entirely in line with MAGA, but rather to elevate young officers with great potential.
Trump wants to to purge a number of generals and admirals?
Trump has long harbored animosity for some military commanders, however it is unclear if he will sign the executive order. He has pledged to weaponize them against the “enemy within,” dismiss all those complicit in the United States' 2021 pullout from Afghanistan, and establish a task group to purge “woke generals.”
“As commander in chief, Trump can fire any officer at will, but an outside board whose members he appoints would bypass the Pentagon’s regular promotion system, signaling across the military that he intends to purge a number of generals and admirals,” the Wall Street Journal stated.
One person with knowledge of military transition remarked that Trump anticipates that several generals, including three- and four-star generals, who have been under performing would ultimately retire.
Speaking to the WSJ, ex-Army lawyer Eric Carpenter stated: “This looks like an administration getting ready to purge anyone who will not be a yes man.”
“If you are looking to fire officers who might say no because of the law or their ethics, you set up a system with completely arbitrary standards, so you can fire anyone you want,” Carpenter added.
