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A senior Navy officer who represented the U.S. in NATO military planning was fired Monday with no clear explanation from the Pentagon on why they were removed.
Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, a career Navy helicopter pilot, had been the U.S.’s top military representative to the NATO Military Committee.
The Pentagon did not provide an explanation on Chatfield’s firing, saying officials “don’t have anything to offer right now.” Chatfield’s relief was first reported by Reuters.
Per her US Military official biography; Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield is a native of Garden Grove, California, and a 1987 graduate of Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and French Language and Literature. She received her commission through Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) in 1988 and earned her wings of gold in 1989. Chatfield was awarded the Navy's Political/Military (Pol-Mil) Scholarship and attended the Kennedy School of Government, receiving a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Universityin 1997. In 2009, the University of San Diego conferred upon her a doctorate of education.
She was assigned to Helicopter Combat Support Squadrons (HC), serving in HC-1, HC-3, HC-5 and twice in HC-11 before making the move to the Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) community.
Operationally, she flew the SH-3, CH-46D and MH-60S and deployed in helicopter detachments to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf supporting carrier strike group and amphibious ready group operations.
Ashore, she participated in the Joint Staff/OSD Internship Program, augmenting the Joint Staff, Plans and Policy (J-5) Directorate, Central & Eastern European Branch; was assigned as deputy executive assistant to the chief of naval operations; was senior military assistant to the supreme allied commander Europe; and was the United States deputy military representative to the NATO Military Committee.
She served as assistant professor of political science at the United States Air Force Academy from 2001-2004.
Chatfield was the 20th commanding officer of HC-5 and, upon its disestablishment, the first commanding officer of HSC-25, the Island Knights. She subsequently commanded a joint provincial reconstruction team in Farah Province, Afghanistan, in 2008, and was type wing commander of HSC Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet from 2011-2013. She commanded Joint Region Marianas from January 2017 to August 2019. Her most recent assignment was President of the Naval War College from August 2019 to June 2023.
Her personal awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Legion of Merit (two awards), Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and various unit awards.
Though no reason for Chatfield’s firing has been released, she was targeted last December by a right-wing political group, the American Accountability Foundation. The organizationwrote a letter to Secretary of State Pete Hegseth in December urging him to fire 20 senior military officials, including Chatsworth. The AAF describes its work as “aggressive research and investigations to advance conservative messaging.”
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