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Women’s Share of Top Military Promotions Falls as Hegseth Blocks Nominees
The New York Times ^ | Aug. 6, 2026 Updated 3:03 p.m. ET | C.J. Robinson

Posted on 08/06/2026 1:32:00 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

The percentage of high-ranking officer nominations going to women is currently at its lowest level in over two decades.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s blocking of promotions for high-ranking women in the military has contributed to the lowest percentage of such nominations for women in at least 25 years, according to a New York Times analysis.

Eight of 201 candidates for high-ranking posts this year have been women, or 4 percent — less than half the average percentage of the past 10 years.

More women could still be promoted this year. And the number of women nominated for promotion in any year is relatively small, so the percentages can fluctuate based on a few individual officers. In 2012, for example, the percentage of high-ranking nominations going to women also fell below 5 percent.

But the proportion of female nominees would be higher in 2026 if not for Mr. Hegseth’s actions. He has blocked at least 40 high-ranking promotions from reaching the Senate in recent months — some for white men, but about half for women and people of color, The Times has reported.

It’s a substantial drop from 2025, when women reached the highest percentage of nominees on record during Mr. Hegseth’s first year as defense secretary.

Mr. Hegseth has not disclosed his reasons for blocking promotions, but he has argued that the Pentagon’s past diversity efforts have degraded the military. “For too long, we’ve promoted too many uniform leaders for the wrong reasons,” he said in a speech to military leaders last September. “Based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts.”

These high-level promotions, however, are extremely competitive. For one- and two-star ranks, selection boards...


(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: dei; diversity; hegseth
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I would like to see a 20 year trend. I assume they spiked under DEI and have returned to norms.


21 posted on 08/06/2026 2:34:32 PM PDT by ScarletRed
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To: SmokingJoe

What about all the “women” graduating from “law” schools? And all the “female” paralegals the top three corrupted male lawyers in every law firm hire because of their looks? The same law firms who reject your case because their algorithms tell them it won’t bring in enough money? We are a very sick country. There is probably no medicine on earth that will make us well again.


22 posted on 08/06/2026 2:35:07 PM PDT by 4Runner ("I gotta join a union to get paid for loafin'?" " Sure ya do!" --Abbott & Costello)
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To: ScarletRed
I would like to see a 20 year trend. I assume they spiked under DEI and have returned to norms.

https://x.com/i/grok/share/58ce554a954b4d18a1514b45969d9e39

23 posted on 08/06/2026 2:37:41 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Israel First. America... who cares?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

And I hope the same thing is happening to female judge nominations. They are absolutely unreliable in every case.


24 posted on 08/06/2026 2:48:23 PM PDT by Midwesterner53
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Probably for the best.

25 posted on 08/06/2026 3:14:15 PM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: Huskrrrr

Secretary Hegseth has returned the military to promotions based on needs and qualifications. Not percentages of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.

Seems NYT doesn’t think those details are important enough to mention . . .


26 posted on 08/06/2026 3:45:26 PM PDT by MCSETots
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

We will never face an enemy that places women in combat roles.
It is asking for failure on our part.

It is bad enough that young men come back from wartime with physical and mental injuries, but why subject young women to that as well?


27 posted on 08/06/2026 3:51:41 PM PDT by Texas resident ( We finally have an American President again)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Outstanding. There are 40 years of DEI error to correct. Full steam ahead.


28 posted on 08/06/2026 4:10:29 PM PDT by SharpenedEdge (Stockpile. Prepare. Arm. Train. A Storm is coming.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

We agree on something.


29 posted on 08/06/2026 4:29:17 PM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The NYT imagines that they could even come close to identifying a competent military officer? (Don’t understand me, I’ve worked with some superb women officers, two of which became generals - a well deserved promotion.)

But let’s get real. Mere journalists, having demonstrated what capabilities? Give me a break. Working for the NYT pretty much eliminates any of those clowns from being considered for any important job.


30 posted on 08/06/2026 4:31:33 PM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: ComputerGuy

Because they were going to get a lot of Men killed.


31 posted on 08/06/2026 5:01:06 PM PDT by MMusson ( )
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To: GingisK
LOL...I was stationed on Hahn AB from 77-78. As luck would have it, I was the "Army Liasion Officer" in the Wing Command Post during all alerts/tac evals. During my first alert, I made a recommendation to the Wing Cdr during an NBC input that he (and the NATO Team Chief) heartily agreed with. As a result, I was the go to guy for all future NBC inputs during the next 18 months.

During 1978, Hahn AB was assigned the first female Base Commander of a Tactical Fighter Wing. Her ego was massive, and she liked to throw her weight around.

During her first Tac Eval, she didn't like it that I was summoned to the Eagles Nest for an NBC input, as I had done several times before. After I made my recommendation (approved by the Wing Cdr), she openly questioned it: "Colonel, why is that Army Lieutenant up here when we our own Base Disaster Preparedness Officer." That dude was a Captain and was visibly uncomfortable with the 5 Bird Colonels present in the Eagles Nest.

To say the Wing Cdr was displeased with her remark was a major understatement. He proceeded to chew her out in front of everyone for nearly two minutes, primarily for questioning his authority. It was beautiful!

I got along great with the Wing Cdr, and I didn't mind spending all 4 days of an alert in the Hole. Kept me out of inclement weather.

32 posted on 08/06/2026 5:08:42 PM PDT by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Gonzales! Come and Take It!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“The percentage of high-ranking officer nominations going to women is currently at its lowest level in over two decades.”

Excellent! Now fire those making the nominations.


33 posted on 08/06/2026 6:08:56 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo )
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To: Texas resident

Call me old fashioned or sexist for saying so but we’ve lost our way as a society, as men, as fathers, and brothers when women have to serve in fighting roles or on the front lines of law enforcement.


34 posted on 08/06/2026 6:19:48 PM PDT by MaskedMan (The )
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To: MaskedMan

Crazy women and limp wristed men have allowed our women to be put in the line of danger.

No other country does this except Israel. They are the execption because they are a small country surrounded by millions of muslims who want all the Jews dead.

Our country is in no such danger.


35 posted on 08/06/2026 6:55:15 PM PDT by Texas resident ( We finally have an American President again)
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To: Huskrrrr

I wonder how many twofers, minority women, got eliminated? Cry’n shame I tell ya.😂


36 posted on 08/06/2026 7:08:25 PM PDT by technically right
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Participation Trophy crowd is chagrined.


37 posted on 08/06/2026 7:15:47 PM PDT by simpson96
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

What share have they actually EARNED?


38 posted on 08/06/2026 7:33:58 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys many aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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