Two senior flag and general officers have been replaced in the Pentagon within the past week, reflecting ongoing changes under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine as they continue reshaping military leadership and strategy across the Department of Defense.
The first major personnel change involves Lieutenant General Joseph P. McGee, director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy on the Joint Staff — commonly referred to as the J5.
RESISTANCE: The Democrats and their willing accomplices in the drive-by media are fiening outrage as Hegseth roots out another woke general working against the president. Biden’s DEI-era general JP McGee has been shown the door after resisting Trump’s reforms. Hegseth continues… pic.twitter.com/9yt4cLMWhR
— @amuse (@amuse) October 30, 2025
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the J5 is responsible for developing strategies, plans, and policy recommendations for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to support military advice to the President and national leaders while coordinating with interagency and allied partners.
McGee, a career Army officer with 35 years of service, commanded companies in the 1st and 2nd Ranger Battalions, the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, and later a brigade combat team within the same division. Dan Caine Pentagon strategy, Department of Defense leadership, Joint Chiefs of Staff updates, Joseph McGee retirement, Kurt Rothenhaus reassignment, military restructuring 2025, Office of Naval Research, Pentagon leadership changes, Pete Hegseth reforms, Rachel Riley
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He served ten combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and earned multiple commendations throughout his career.
His retirement was announced in a brief statement from the Joint Staff: “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.”
Reports indicate McGee’s exit stemmed from disagreements with Secretary Hegseth and Gen. Caine over strategic priorities, particularly regarding U.S. policy toward Russia, Ukraine, and ongoing operations in the Caribbean.
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CNN reported that McGee had “frequently pushed back” on several of the administration’s new defense initiatives, creating tension within the upper levels of the Pentagon.
McGee was promoted to lieutenant general in May 2024 after being renominated by Joe Biden later that year.
That nomination expired at the end of the 118th Congress, and President Donald Trump did not submit his name for renomination, signaling that McGee’s retirement was likely imminent.
His close association with former military leadership, including ex-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, reportedly contributed to the decision not to retain him.
The second change involves Rear Admiral Kurt J. Rothenhaus, who was serving as the head of the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Rothenhaus, a 33-year Navy veteran with a Ph.D. in Software Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, was reassigned to command the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR).
Replacing Rothenhaus at ONR is Rachel Riley, a 33-year-old former McKinsey & Company partner who most recently served as a senior advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services within the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Despite some media speculation, Pentagon officials clarified that Rothenhaus’s transfer was not a dismissal but a lateral move to fill a vacant command position at NAVWAR.
Critics have questioned Riley’s lack of scientific or military background, though Pentagon officials noted that none of ONR’s top military positions are held by scientists.
The leadership structure includes officers with advanced degrees in business administration, systems analysis, and software engineering.
As ONR’s director, Riley will oversee funding allocations and research priorities rather than engage in hands-on scientific work.
Pentagon officials described her management and efficiency experience as consistent with the department’s emphasis on cost reduction and program effectiveness.
These two personnel changes follow a series of leadership reshuffles within the Department of Defense since the start of the year.
More than a dozen senior officials have been reassigned, retired, or replaced, including former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown, former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and the heads of the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency.
The changes reflect Secretary Hegseth’s ongoing efforts to overhaul Pentagon leadership and restructure the chain of command to align with the administration’s strategic defense and efficiency goals.
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