According to three people with knowledge of the situation, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth decided in the spring not to promote a senior Army officer who had commanded troops during five tours in Afghanistan and Iraq because he suspected—without proof—that the officer had leaked classified information to the news media.
According to the authorities, Mr. Hegseth briefly agreed to elevate Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II after he was exonerated of the charges, but he changed his mind early this month. Mr. Hegseth insisted this time that the senior officer was too close to Gen. Mark Milley, a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who has been accused of treason by President Trump.
The current head of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Dan Caine, made an unusual intervention in response to Mr. Hegseth’s abrupt reversal. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions, said he persuaded Mr. Hegseth to think again.
General Sims and Mr. Hegseth met one last time, but he remained unmoved. After 34 years in the service, General Sims is anticipated to retire in the upcoming months, according to officials. Both General Sims and General Caine declined to respond through a spokeswoman. Regarding Mr. Hegseth’s participation, a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment.
The dispute over his promotion is a reflection of the long-standing tradition of an apolitical military that swears allegiance to the Constitution and Mr. Hegseth’s very partisan worldview, in which he has argued that the Democratic Party truly hates America.
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