Lawmakers Criticize Defense Secretary Over Civilian Protection Program

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom investigating abuses of power. Its findings often focus on areas of significant public interest and concern. Recently, ten Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The letter addressed concern over his reduction of a program aimed at protecting civilians, describing it as a leadership failure endangering service members and undermining the military’s ethical standing.

Concerns Highlighted by Lawmakers

Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led the letter, which resonated with worries from a Defense Department inspector general report. This report noted that efforts to protect civilians were mostly “inactive.” The lawmakers referenced investigative journalism, including ProPublica’s work, to advocate for maintaining the civilian harm mitigation and response framework (CHMR).

The Trump administration has defunded and obstructed efforts for civilian protection, potentially breaching federal law.

The Pentagon refrained from commenting directly to ProPublica, stating they would respond to Congress directly.

Global Attention on Civilian Casualties

In February, a U.S. strike killed numerous children and teachers during the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran. This incident attracted international outcry. The Pentagon is currently investigating this event. Monitoring groups report increased civilian casualties, notably in Somalia and Yemen, where U.S. strikes have surged under the second Trump administration.

Interviews conducted by ProPublica with national security officials revealed a shift in the military’s approach: increased aggression and reduced accountability. The CHMR program was intended to embed prevention specialists within targeting teams. It aimed to cultivate a priority on civilian safety according to U.S. and international laws.

CHMR Program Under Threat

The Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, mandated by Congress in 2022, was established to reduce civilian casualties in U.S. military actions. The roll-out process stalled under Hegseth’s command, aligning poorly with his “lethality” doctrine.

Hegseth criticized safeguards that he perceived as limiting combat forces. By the time of the Minab school strike in Iran, the CHMR mission had been reduced by approximately 90%. Only a few staff members remained to monitor civilian harm concerns, even as military operations intensified across Africa and the Middle East.

Political and Military Reactions

Militant groups often use civilian casualties to bolster recruitment, a concept dubbed “insurgent math” by retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal. According to this theory, each innocent casualty potentially creates at least 10 new adversaries.

Democratic lawmakers, including military veterans Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, criticized the military’s overseas actions. They argued the disregard for civilian life doesn’t enhance safety for Americans or military personnel.

The letter to Hegseth included 20 questions, seeking updates on CHMR staffing and funding, along with an explanation for the department’s lack of cooperation with the inspector general’s probe.

Call for Congressional Support

Post-strike evaluations indicate that the presence of a more steadfast prevention team might have minimized civilian casualties. Within days of the school strike, evidence emerged implicating a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile. The Washington Post reported the school might have been erroneously identified as a military target, resulting in the deaths of over 150 students and staff.

The Trump administration has yet to account for the incident. Defense Secretary Hegseth emphasized the command investigation will thoroughly address the incident, though it may take time.

Annie Shiel from the Center for Civilians in Conflict, an advocacy group, declared that congressional backing is crucial as the CHMR mission faces uncertainty.

History Repeating?

Historically, the military’s focus on civilian protection emerges in response to catastrophes. Following incidents like the Kabul missile strike under the Biden administration, which resulted in civilian deaths, the Pentagon vows review and reform. The cycle of attention only surfaces amid disasters and later fades.

In response to these events, a civilian harm mitigation and response action plan was implemented in 2022. Although not a complete solution, it represented progress toward consistent civilian protection efforts.

While the mission’s current state remains in doubt, May’s inspector general report indicates department leadership impeded the tracking of the CHMR program’s progress.

You are violating the law on civilian harm right now.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., challenged Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll on why the department is disregarding congressional law.

Criticism of Hegseth’s Leadership

Critics from various quarters, including some Republicans and veteran commanders, increasingly express objections to Hegseth’s reforms. His sweeping dismissals of high-ranking officers have received bipartisan rebuke, generating allegations of political retribution, racism, and gender bias.

Hegseth has criticized military leaders advocating for diversity, terming it “wokeness.” He claimed the department’s culture suffered under previous directives and his dismissal decisions reflect respect for the dismissed officers.

One publicized termination involved Gen. Chris Donahue, a renowned special forces commander, who earlier dismissed concerns over wokeness.