Army suspends commander for not including photos of Trump, Vance and Hegseth on chain of command wall

Amid growing scrutiny over institutional loyalty within the military, the U.S. Army suspended Colonel Sheyla Baez Ramirez as commander of the Fort McCoy garrison, following revelations that the base had failed to update the chain-of-command wall with photos of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The decision came after images of the incomplete panel circulated on social media, prompting criticism within the Department of Defense. Although the Army Reserve Command assured that Baez Ramirez's suspension is "not related to any misconduct," it also indicated that the case is still under internal review and that no further details will be provided at this time.

Immediate reaction and correction

Hegseth amplified the issue by reposting a post reporting that Fort McCoy's leadership had been suspended for not reflecting the current chain of command. Shortly thereafter, a new image of the corrected wall was disseminated, where the empty frames already included the corresponding portraits.

From the Department of Defense's official rapid response account on X, they assured, "WE FIXED IT! Also, an investigation has begun to figure out exactly what happened."

Background and context

Colonel Baez Ramirez had assumed command in July of last year. Previously, she had held positions in the Army Intelligence and Security Command and in the Reserve Program at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. His professional profile is extensive and without public reports of controversy until this episode.

His removal adds to a series of recent changes in military leadership. Earlier this month, the commander of Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Col. Susannah Meyers, was also fired after questioning, in an internal email, Vice President Vance's statements following an official visit. In that message, Meyers expressed that the vice president's concerns did not reflect the actual situation at the base, which was interpreted as a lack of impartiality. The Space Force justified his departure by loss of confidence in his leadership ability.

Internal purge at the Pentagon

Tensions within the Department of Defense have been running high. Late last week, Hegseth fired four former aides following an investigation into internal leaks.