The U.S. Army has suspended Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez, commander of Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, after a glaring omission on the base’s chain-of-command display caught national attention: missing photos of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The absence of the top brass from the traditional military command wall prompted an investigation by the Department of Defense. Although the Army Reserve Command emphasized the suspension was “not related to any misconduct,” officials confirmed the matter is under formal review.
The incident gained traction after a photo circulated online showing empty frames where Trump, Vance, and Hegseth’s portraits should have been. Following the online uproar, including a repost by Hegseth himself, the DOD’s rapid response team stated: “WE FIXED IT!” alongside an updated image showing the missing portraits now in place.
Ramirez, who took command of Fort McCoy in July 2024, previously served in high-level intelligence roles, including at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Despite her experience, the chain-of-command oversight has now placed her under scrutiny in a broader pattern of leadership shakeups.
This isn’t the first high-profile suspension linked to the Trump administration. Earlier this month, Col. Susannah Meyers was removed from her post as commander of Pituffik Space Force Base in Greenland after she allegedly contradicted Vice President Vance in an internal email to base personnel.
The Pentagon has also seen a wave of firings, with Hegseth recently dismissing four aides amid internal leaks and disputes over classified discussions involving family members.
As scrutiny intensifies over military adherence to the chain of command under the Trump-Vance administration, questions loom about political neutrality and leadership discipline across U.S. armed forces installations.