March 7, 2025 Story by: Editor
WASHINGTON – Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, who leads the U.S. military’s health agency and is among the most senior Black female officers in the Army, was compelled to retire on Friday, according to two sources who spoke to Reuters.
Her departure follows a week after President Donald Trump dismissed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff along with other high-ranking military officials in an unprecedented restructuring.
Although Crosland’s retirement had been publicly disclosed, Reuters is the first to report that she was forced to step down after 32 years of service in the military.
Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, confirmed on Friday that Crosland had officially begun her retirement.
“I want to thank Crosland for her dedication to the nation, to the military health system, and to Army medicine for the past 32 years,” Ferrara said in a statement.
However, a current and former official, both speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Crosland had been instructed to retire without being given a reason.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Crosland’s retirement and directed inquiries to the Defense Health Agency. The DHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has acted swiftly to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the Pentagon, arguing that such programs foster division.
Earlier this month, Hegseth stated that he believed the phrase “diversity is our strength” was “the single dumbest phrase in military history.”
Additionally, he has put an end to identity month celebrations, including Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
DEI programs are designed to expand opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, and other historically underrepresented groups. While civil rights advocates argue that these initiatives—typically supported by Democrats—are necessary to combat structural racism and longstanding disparities, Hegseth has opposed them.
In a statement published on the health agency’s website last year, Crosland downplayed the significance of her identity as a Black woman serving in the Army.
“I don’t actually frame anything I do day-in and day-out in terms of my race or my gender. That’s always been a hard question for me to answer,” she said.
“It’s not because I don’t understand the responsibility … Certainly, there are challenges that come from being a woman in the military, there are challenges that come from being African American, and being in the military.”
Source: Reuters
