Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska said on CNN Tuesday that Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed a large number of senior generals and admirals, leaving key posts empty for months. The Army currently has no civilian secretary and no chief of staff, and the Cyber Command post stayed vacant for 10 to 11 months after its commander was removed.

Bacon said the Constitution permits such personnel moves but they are unwise without stated reasons, and people he knows who were dismissed received none. He said Hegseth carries out the president’s wishes yet would not have been Bacon’s pick, as Bacon prefers the transparent approach associated with former Secretary Mattis. Bacon also objected to reduced Pentagon press access and to Hegseth blaming reporters rather than taking responsibility after classified material appeared on an unclassified messaging app.