Gen. Michael X. Garrett, First Black Commander of U.S. Army Forces Command, Had His Legacy Scrubbed in Pentagon’s Content Purge

Pentagon’s Content Purge Erases Historic Military Achievements

The Pentagon’s recent removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content from its websites has sparked outrage. Among the casualties was the legacy of Gen. Michael X. Garrett, the first Black commander of U.S. Army Forces Command.

A February memo from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the purge of DEI-related content. Military units were instructed to use keywords like “first,” “history,” and “racism” to identify material for removal. This broad directive led to the unintended deletion of historically significant content.

“That’s just history. It’s not really DEI—it’s literally just history,” one defense official told CNN.

Gen. Garrett’s Groundbreaking Career

Gen. Michael X. Garrett made history in 2018 when he became the first Black commander of U.S. Army Forces Command. His leadership marked a significant milestone in the military’s history of diversity and inclusion.

Garrett’s career spanned over three decades, during which he earned numerous accolades for his service. His achievements were celebrated as a testament to the progress of underrepresented groups in the military.

However, his legacy was among the content removed during the Pentagon’s purge. This has raised concerns about the erasure of important historical milestones.

The Fallout from the Pentagon’s Directive

The Pentagon’s directive to remove DEI content was carried out with an aggressive timeline. Units were given just two weeks to review and delete thousands of articles and images.

Keywords like “firsts,” “LGBTQ,” and “cultural observances” were used to identify content for removal. This led to the deletion of articles about historic figures, including Gen. Garrett and other trailblazers.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell acknowledged the overcorrection. “Every now and then, because of the realities of AI tools and other software, some important content was incorrectly pulled offline to be reviewed,” he said.

A Broader Impact on Military History

The purge affected more than just Gen. Garrett’s legacy. Content commemorating World War II Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves and the Navajo code-talkers was also removed.

Officials are now working to restore the deleted content. However, the process is time-consuming and complicated by limitations on social media archiving tools.

“This was literally a waste of our time,” one defense official said. “This does absolutely nothing to make us stronger, more lethal, better prepared.”

Moving Forward: Restoring Lost History

The Pentagon has pledged to review the deleted content with human oversight. This effort aims to restore historically significant material that was mistakenly removed.

Gen. Garrett’s legacy, along with other milestones in military history, is expected to be reinstated. However, the incident has highlighted the challenges of balancing policy changes with the preservation of history.