This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
Published on June 25, 2020, the Pentagon is grappling with a series of high-profile resignations and leadership failures, with the Ukraine affair at the center of the controversy.
Assistant Secretary of Defense Randall Schriver resigned in December, followed by Eric Chewning, the chief of staff to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, in January. In February, President Trump fired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a key witness in the impeachment trial, after he testified about the Ukraine affair.
The Ukraine affair involved a dispute over $250 million in security assistance to Ukraine, which was withheld by the Trump administration. The certification of Ukraine's compliance with the necessary changes to justify the aid was a key argument made by the Trump defense team during the impeachment trial.
Meanwhile, the acting Navy secretary, Thomas B. Modly, resigned in April after his efforts to appease President Trump resulted in a bungled Navy response to a coronavirus outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt.
More recently, the resignation of Kate McCusker, the Pentagon's comptroller, has continued the fallout from the Ukraine affair. Colonel Vindman's promotion is also at risk, with some speculating that he may be forced out of the military if his promotion does not go through.
However, the Pentagon's problems go beyond the Ukraine affair. The Defense Digital Service, a small Pentagon office that uses Silicon Valley technology on major military issues, is also grappling with leadership failures. An anonymous email sent to Secretary Esper highlighted longstanding issues within the office, including a toxic environment and a lack of diversity.
Launched in 2015, the Defense Digital Service is helmed by Brett Goldstein, who was appointed to the job in 2019. He has been the subject of several internal complaints and has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers.
