Navy Chief of Staff Jon Harrison fired amidst Pentagon shake-up

War Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired U.S. Navy Chief of Staff Jon Harrison, days after the confirmation of Hung Cao as Navy undersecretary.

4 oct 2025 - 18:19 • 2 min read

War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday fired U.S. Navy Chief of Staff Jon Harrison, a move that comes shortly after the Senate confirmed Hung Cao as the Navy's undersecretary earlier in the week.

The War Department confirmed Harrison's departure in a statement to Politico, saying, "Jon Harrison will no longer serve as chief of staff to the Secretary of the Navy. We are grateful for his service to the department."

Harrison, who reportedly had no prior military experience before being appointed chief of staff, had been instrumental in the War Department's realignment of the U.S. Navy's budgeting and policy wings. According to reports, he and Navy Secretary John Phelan, who also lacks military experience, worked to minimize the influence of the Navy undersecretary. This effort reportedly included reassigning top aides who were meant to assist the new undersecretary, Hung Cao, in an attempt to ensure that the Navy secretary's office retained all final decision-making authority.

Harrison's dismissal is the latest in a series of significant personnel changes within the military under Secretary Hegseth's tenure.

In May, Hegseth directed the military to reduce its four-star generals and admirals by 20%. He has also overseen the dismissal of several high-ranking generals, including the two women who held four-star rankings in the U.S. military. Additionally, Hegseth previously fired Air Force General CQ Brown Jr., who was the chair of the joint chiefs of staff.

Earlier this week, Hegseth addressed top military officials in Quantico, Virginia, criticizing what he described as "woke" policies and expressing opposition to the military's former diversity and inclusion initiatives. His remarks have drawn strong reactions from many veterans.