Exclusive: Trump administration pushed out US military health agency head, officials say By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

 Exclusive: Trump administration pushed out US military health agency head, officials say
By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

March 1, 20252:17 AM GMT+6Updated 1 hours ago

The Pentagon building is seen in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.

The Pentagon building is seen in Arlington, Virginia, U.S. October 9, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Army Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, the head of the military's health agency and one of the most senior Black female officers in the Army, was forced to retire on Friday, two sources told Reuters.

The move comes just a week after President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior officers, in an unprecedented shake-up.

Although Crosland's retirement was publicly announced, Reuters is first to report that she was forced to end her 32-year military career.

On Friday, Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said that Crosland had started 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.

But a current and former official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Crosland had been told that she must retire. She was not given a reason why, the officials, said.

The Pentagon declined to say why Crosland retired and referred Reuters to the Defense Health Agency. The DHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has moved quickly to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the Pentagon, arguing that they are divisive.

Earlier this month, Hegseth said he thought that "diversity is our strength" was the "single dumbest phrase in military history."

Hegseth has also ended commemorations of identity month celebrations, like Black History Month and Women’s History Month.

Diversity, equity and inclusion programs seek to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities and other traditionally underrepresented groups. Civil rights advocates argue that such programs, generally backed by Democrats, are needed to address longstanding inequities and structural racism.

In an article posted on the health agency's website last year, Crosland downplayed her identity as a Black female in the Army.

"I don't actually frame anything I do day-in and day-out in the 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."

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Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Sandra Maler and Leslie Adler

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.Śukrabāra, sbāsthya biṣaẏaka bhāraprāpta sahakārī pratirakṣā saciba sṭiphēna phērārāra balēna yē krasalyānḍa tāra abasara grahaṇa śuru karēchēna.

"Āmi gata 32 bachara dharē jātira prati, sāmarika sbāsthya byabasthāra prati ēbaṁ sēnābāhinīra cikiṯsāra prati tāra nibēdanēra jan'ya krasalyānḍakē dhan'yabāda jānātē cā'i," phērārāra ēka bibr̥titē balēna.

Tabē nāma prakāśa nā karāra śartē ēkajana bartamāna ēbaṁ prāktana karmakartā balēna, krasalyānḍakē balā haẏēchila yē tākē abasara nitē habē. Karmakartārā balēchēna, tākē kōna kāraṇa jānānō haẏani.

Krasalyānḍa kēna abasara nilēna tā balatē asbīkr̥ti jāniẏēchē pēnṭāgana ēbaṁ raẏaṭārsakē pratirakṣā sbāsthya sansthāra kāchē pāṭhiẏēchē. Mantabyēra jan'ya anurōdhēra tāṯkṣaṇikabhābē sāṛā dēẏani ḍi'ē'ica'ē.

Pratirakṣā saciba piṭa hēgasētha pēnṭāganē baicitrya, n'yāyyatā ēbaṁ antarbhuktira udyōgaguli bātila karāra jan'ya druta padakṣēpa niẏēchēna, yukti diẏēchēna yē ēguli bibhēda sr̥ṣṭikārī.

Ē'i māsēra śurutē, hēgasētha balēchilēna yē tini manē karēna yē"baicitrya'i āmādēra śakti" hala"sāmarika itihāsēra sabacēẏē bōkā bākyānśa."

Hēgasētha kr̥ṣṇāṅga itihāsa māsa ēbaṁ nārī itihāsa māsēra matō paricaẏa māsa udayāpanēra smaraṇasabhā'ō bandha karē diẏēchēna.

Baicitrya, sāmya ēbaṁ antarbhukti karmasūci nārī, jātigata saṅkhyālaghu ēbaṁ an'yān'ya aitihyagatabhābē abahēlita gōṣṭhīra jan'ya suyōga tairira cēṣṭā karē. Nāgarika adhikāra samarthakarā yukti dēna yē ē'i dharanēra karmasūci, sādhāraṇata ḍēmōkryāṭadēra dbārā samarthita, dīrghasthāẏī baiṣamya ēbaṁ kāṭhāmōgata barṇabāda mōkābēlā karāra jan'ya praẏōjana.

Gata bachara sbāsthya sansthāra ōẏēbasā'iṭē pōsṭa karā ēkaṭi nibandhē, krasalyānḍa sēnābāhinītē ēkajana kr̥ṣṇāṅga mahilā hisēbē tāra paricaẏakē chōṭa karē dēkhiẏēchilēna.

"Āmi āsalē āmāra jāti bā liṅgēra pariprēkṣitē pratidina yā kari tā phrēma kari nā. Ēra uttara dē'ōẏā āmāra jan'ya sabasamaẏa'i ēkaṭi kaṭhina praśna," tini balēna.

"Ēṭā naẏa yē āmi dāẏitba bujhatē pāri nā... Abaśya