Army Fires 4-Star General for Abuse of Authority

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth on Tuesday fired a four-star general for improperly influencing a former subordinate's command assignment, reports the Military Times.

Charles Hamilton was one of about a dozen four-star generals in the Army.

"Based on the findings of a Department of the Army Inspector General investigation, the secretary of the Army has relieved Gen. Charles Hamilton of command," Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith wrote in a statement to Army Times.

"The current acting commander of Army Materiel Command, Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, will continue in this role pending the nomination of a permanent replacement to serve as the commander."

According to an investigation published earlier this year by Military.com, Hamilton reportedly helped secure a leadership role for a subordinate officer previously deemed unfit for command.

The lieutenant colonel he tried to pressure Army officials into promoting was someone he mentored, according to that probe.

The Army Inspector General's office concluded that Hamilton "improperly advocated" for the lieutenant colonel to be selected.

"The net effect of adding [the lieutenant colonel,] an officer not certified ready for command, to the order of merit list ultimately caused concern in the force," the investigation found. "This deviation from an established process, at the behest of Gen. Hamilton, uprooted trust in the program from not just the affected population, but across the Army."

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