Army Commander Suspended After Failing to Display Trump's Portrait

Fort McCoy Commander Suspended Following Missing Portraits

Colonel Sheyla Baez Ramirez, commander of the U.S. Army garrison at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, has been suspended following controversy over a missing presidential portrait on the base’s chain-of-command display wall. The suspension followed a failure to display photographs of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — an omission that sparked an internal investigation.

The U.S. Army Reserve Command confirmed Col. Ramirez's suspension, stating, “This suspension is not related to any misconduct,” and declined to provide further details, according to The Telegraph. The Department of Defense has since filled the blank photo frames. The White House / Wikimedia

Defense Department Responds to Missing Photos

A post earlier this month from its rapid response team on X read, “Regarding the Ft McCoy Chain of Command wall controversy… we fixed it! Also, an investigation has begun to figure out exactly what happened.” @DODResponse / X

Hegseth Amplifies Suspension on Social Media

On Sunday, Pete Hegseth reshared a post on X highlighting the suspension of the Fort McCoy commander following the absence of key leadership portraits. The reposted message stated: “Commander of Fort McCoy, whose base chain-of-command board was missing photos of Trump, Vance and Hegseth, has been SUSPENDED.” The White House / Wikimedia

Ramirez's Career and Context of Recent Dismissals

Col. Ramirez, who assumed command of Fort McCoy in July 2024, previously served in several high-ranking roles, including as Army Intelligence Security Commander at Fort Belvoir. Her suspension marks the latest in a pattern of dismissals of senior female military leaders under the Trump administration, which has faced criticism for targeting what it labels “woke” elements within the armed forces, according to The Telegraph. @OpenEyeComms / X

Other High-Ranking Women Recently Removed

In recent weeks, several high-profile female commanders have been removed. Earlier this month, Colonel Susannah Meyers was dismissed from her post at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland after being accused of “subverting president Trump’s agenda” by distancing herself from Vice President Vance’s controversial remarks about Denmark. Similarly, Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield was removed due to “a loss of confidence in her ability to lead,” according to Defense Secretary Hegseth.

Earlier in the year, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Admiral Linda Fagan — the first women to lead the Navy and Coast Guard, respectively — were also dismissed. The White House / Wikimedia

Hegseth Faces Questions Over Communication Practices

Hegseth himself has come under scrutiny amid internal disputes and allegations that he shared sensitive military information with his wife, brother, and personal attorney. He recently fired four aides during an ongoing leak investigation. The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was also inadvertently included in a separate Signal group where classified discussions reportedly occurred. U.S. Secretary of Defense / Wikimedia