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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is under intense scrutiny due to operational controversies and mass staff resignations at the Pentagon, has appointed Justin Fulcher, a staffer from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as a senior adviser. The announcement comes amidst a period of turbulence within the Department of Defense, where Hegseth has recently lost his chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, a spokesperson, and another senior adviser.

Justin Fulcher, who co-founded the telemedicine startup RingMD and previously represented the DOGE team at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is now a part of Hegseth’s inner circle. Fulcher’s appointment reflects Hegseth’s ongoing endorsement of DOGE’s efforts, which claim to have identified billions in wasteful Pentagon spending.

However, the Defense Secretary’s leadership style remains controversial. Over recent weeks, Hegseth has been accused of disclosing sensitive and possibly classified information via Signal, an encrypted messaging app. These allegations, combined with significant staff exits, have sparked concerns about the Pentagon’s internal management and operational security.

Despite these setbacks, Hegseth remains focused on President Donald Trump’s core priorities, including dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and using the military to enforce immigration policies. In fact, Hegseth recently spent time at the US southern border, promoting the administration’s hardline stance on border security. In a video shared on the DOD Rapid Response account on X (formerly Twitter), Hegseth reiterated the importance of achieving "100% operational control" of the southern border, labeling it a critical element of national security.

Amidst the political and administrative turmoil, Hegseth announced several additional appointments to stabilize Pentagon operations:

• Sean Parnell, former Pentagon press secretary and a close Hegseth ally, will now also serve as senior adviser while retaining his role as assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.

• Kingsley Wilson, Parnell’s deputy, will step in as acting press secretary.

• Marine Corps Colonel Ricky Buria, allegedly involved in allowing Hegseth's use of Signal for sensitive communications, has been named another senior adviser.

• Patrick Weaver has been appointed as a senior adviser, with Wilson noting that regular personnel changes reflect a commitment to high-efficiency operations.

Wilson defended the changes by stating that “regular workforce adjustments are a feature of any highly efficient organization” and emphasized that these decisions support the Trump administration’s broader agenda.

However, critics are skeptical. Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, voiced concerns over the Pentagon’s leadership approach. She highlighted that appointing numerous senior advisers rather than properly filling critical line positions like chief of staff and deputy chief of staff could increase organizational confusion. Schake noted, “It’s actually not a feature of any highly efficient organization to appoint a bunch of senior advisers instead of filling the line responsibilities.”

The situation paints a picture of a fractured Pentagon leadership team, with an embattled Defense Secretary who continues to rely on political loyalty and rapid personnel shifts to maintain control during turbulent times.

The move to bring in DOGE staffers and trusted allies suggests that Hegseth is doubling down on a strategy of political alignment over traditional military hierarchy. It also underscores a broader trend within the Trump administration toward centralizing control among loyalists while emphasizing operational efficiency, even at the cost of internal institutional stability.

As Defense Secretary Hegseth grapples with mounting pressure over his Signal communication practices, his leadership style, and staff turnover, the coming months will likely be critical in determining whether the Pentagon can maintain operational cohesion under his stewardship.

With Trump’s full backing and a steady focus on high-profile issues like border security and military enforcement roles, Hegseth appears committed to weathering the political storm. However, the question remains: at what cost to the Pentagon’s credibility, operational security, and internal morale?

The developments signal an increasingly complex environment at the Defense Department, where digital communications practices, political loyalty, and governance reforms collide under one of the most scrutinized leaderships of recent times.

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