Getting a promotion at the Pentagon seems to be getting harder under Hegseth

NPR | By Mary Louise Kelly,

Kat Lonsdorf, Tom Bowman

Published June 11, 2026 at 4:15 PM EDT

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked or delayed the promotions of several officers across the military branches, and a disproportionate number of those officers are women and people of color. Why? And how is Congress responding?

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Mary Louise Kelly

Mary Louise Kelly is a co-host of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine.

Kat Lonsdorf

Tom Bowman

Tom Bowman is a NPR National Desk reporter covering the Pentagon.