11/11/2025
This Veterans Day, we're paying special tribute to Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Admiral Linda Fagan, the two highest serving women in the military until they were both fired from their historic commands by the Trump administration with no explanation or justification. Former Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan, a four-star admiral, 40-year veteran, and the first woman to lead a military branch, was fired by Trump on Inauguration Day as one of his first acts in office. In February, Pete Hegseth -- arguably the least qualified Defense Secretary in modern history -- then fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti -- a four-star admiral and the first woman to lead the Navy. These abrupt firings represented just the beginning of Trump and Hegseth's sweeping military leadership purge -- condemned by one military expert as "squandering an enormous amount of talent" and treating decorated officers with shocking disregard after their lifelong commitment to serving the American people.
Admiral Linda Fagan was sworn in as the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard in 2022, becoming the first woman to lead the Coast Guard in its 234-year history. During her 40 years with the Coast Guard, prior to becoming commandant, she has served on all seven continents; spent 15 years as a Marine Inspector; commanded Sector New York, controlling all Coast Guard operations in the New York metropolitan area and Albany; and served as the Coast Guard's second-in-command as well as the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.
After being fired by Trump on his first day in office, she was then abruptly evicted from her house at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling with just three hours of notice. She wasn't even given enough time to gather her personal effects and household goods even though Coast Guard leaders had granted her 60 days to find new housing. According to Homeland Security officials, the unnecessarily swift and cruel eviction was because, as the base's acting commandant was told, "the president wants her out of quarters."
Shortly after Fagan's eviction, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem moved into the Coast Guard commandant's home at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Military experts have noted this unprecedented pattern of Trump administration officials taking over housing traditionally reserved for senior military officers, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidential adviser Stephen Miller have also done by moving onto military bases, as yet another concerning erosion of the boundaries between political appointees and military leadership.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy, spent roughly half of her 40-year long career at sea, rising to command the destroyer U.S.S. Ross, and later a destroyer squadron, two aircraft carrier strike groups, all naval forces in Korea and the U.S. Sixth Fleet. She became the 33rd chief of naval operations in 2023, making her the first woman to serve as a permanent member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ironically, this highly respected military leader with decades of distinction was fired by a former Fox News TV host with no senior military command experience, no experience managing large organizations, and no previous government service at any level. Hegseth's only notable 'qualification' is his absolute loyalty to Trump.
Trump and Hegseth's military leadership purge has also included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr., Vice Chief of the Air Force General James Slife, and the top lawyers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The purge was fiercely denounced by five former U.S. defense secretaries, who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, in a scathing letter. "Mr. Trump's dismissals raise troubling questions about the administration's desire to politicize the military," they wrote. "We, like many Americans - including many troops - are therefore left to conclude that these leaders are being fired for purely partisan reasons."
"The United States cannot afford to have our military infected by partisan politics and distracted from its core mission of defending the nation," the defense secretaries concluded. "As George Washington warned Alexander Hamilton in 1783, after Hamilton had pressed military officers to insert themselves into domestic politics, 'The Army is a dangerous instrument to play with.' We're not asking members of Congress to do us a favor; we're asking them to do their jobs. We're urging them to take George Washington's warning to heart."
The dismissal of these two pathbreaking leaders is particularly concerning as it leaves no women in four-star positions across the entire U.S. military -- effectively erasing years of progress toward a more diverse leadership that reflects the nation it defends. For many servicewomen, these admirals represented not just exceptional leadership but proof that the highest echelons of military command were attainable regardless of gender.
This Veterans Day, as we honor all who have served, we offer special thanks to these two remarkable leaders whose careers were cut short not for any failing in merit, capability, or dedication, but as a result of a destructive blend of ideological fanaticism, administrative incompetence, and vindictive malice. While partisan forces may have cut short their tenures, the example that Admirals Fagan and Franchetti set of leadership driven by excellence rather than ideology stands as a powerful reminder of what makes America's military truly strong.
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For a children's book that gives groundbreaking women in the military, past and present, the respect they deserve, we highly recommend "Heroism Begins With Her: Inspiring Stories of Bold, Brave, and Gutsy Women in the U.S. Military" for ages 9 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/heroism-begins-with-her
For more books for young readers that honor the service of women in the military, visit our blog post "The Price of Peace: A Mighty Girl Recognizes Veterans" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12356
For several fascinating books for teen and adult readers about heroic women who served in the U.S. military, we recommend "Women Heroes of World War II"(https://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-ii), "Women Heroes of the US Army" (https://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-us-army), and "Courageous Women of the Vietnam War" (https://www.amightygirl.com/courageous-women-vietnam)
For books for children and teens about the importance of standing up for truth, decency, and justice, even in dark times, visit our blog post, "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Women Who Fought for Change," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364
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