Although no reason was given, officials said it was apparently tied to comments she has made that supported diversity in the force.
According to the officials, Chatfield got a call from Adm. Christopher Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was told the administration wanted to go in a different direction with the job.
The officials said they believe the decision was made last week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but it was unclear whether he received any direction from President Donald Trump. Three U.S. officials spoke about the firing on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
Trump and Hegseth have been vocal in their insistence that so-called woke policies are dead. There has been a vigorous campaign to remove leaders who promoted diversity, equity and inclusion, and to erase DEI programs and online content.
Chatfield was on a list of senior military officers targeted as “woke” by the conservative American Accountability Foundation, which sent a letter to Hegseth saying that “purging the woke from the military is imperative.”
The Foundation complained in the letter to Hegseth that those responsible for DEI policies "must be dismissed,” adding that military leaders should be focused on cultivating lethality, not on fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the ranks.
The letter said Chatfield posted supportive comments on LinkedIn about a diversity summit and gave a speech in 2015 at Women's Equality Day. The group quoted her as saying that investing in empowering women can unlock human potential.
And they also said she was quoted as saying, “our diversity is our strength” — a phrase that Hegseth has repeatedly condemned.
