Women's History Month - March 2025 - Modern Trailblazers of the U.S. Armed Forces

Women's History Month in the United States occurs in March of each year to:

• celebrate the achievements women have made throughout American history and
• recognize all that remains to be done.
• (If you like, you can read about the history of Women's History Month in my blog post dated March 2, 2023.)

This year, I'm focusing on three remarkable women fired by President Trump in his recent purge of women and men from top leadership in the U.S. Armed Forces.

I.  Who are the three women?

All trailblazers.  All military.  All highly educated with multiple academic degrees.   All experienced in a wide variety of progressively responsible assignments carried out with distinction in military careers spanning decades and continents.  All honored with awards, decorations, and command.

The women are:

• Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, Director, U.S. Defense Health Agency, and the first African-American woman to hold the Director's position.
• Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard and first female commandant of a branch of the U.S. armed services.
• Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy, and first woman to become a member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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​You can see photos of the women near the end of this blog post.  The awards and decorations pinned to their dress uniforms speak volumes.
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II.  What Happened?

President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2025.  
 
Between January 20 and March 1, 2025, all three exemplary women were fired or forced to retire for reasons unrelated to performance. 

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