The head of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a health system for millions of service members and their dependents, was forced to retire suddenly on Friday. Reuters reported.
Army Lt. Gen. Territa Crossland is one of the Army's most senior black female officers who have been in her role since January 2023, and as of Friday morning she has “begun retirement.”statementFrom Stephen Ferrara, Deputy Director-General of Defense for Health Affairs.
The statement did not present a reason for Crossland's quick departure, but two officials told Reuters that she was not given a reason for her being notified that she had to retire.
The move comes a week after President Trump fired six senior military officers, including the chairman's co-head and the first female head of the Navy.
“We would like to thank Crossland for our dedication to the people, the military health system and the military medicine over the past 32 years,” Ferrara said in a statement.
Crossland, the first black woman to lead the Defense Health Agency, graduated from the US Army Academy West Point in 1993 and entered the Army as a medical officer. Department of Defense Biography.
Under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, the Pentagon moved to quickly kick out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives without evidence that it would wreak havoc on unit aggregation.
“The stupidest phrase in military history is 'our diversity is our strength,'” Heggs told City Hall meetings at the Pentagon earlier this month. “From our perspective, why do we remove something like Dei? Because from our perspective it serves the purpose of splitting forces rather than integrating them.”
Trump administration defense officials also ordered the end of the celebration of Identity Month, which includes Black History Month and Women's History Month, and directed the Department of Defense to erase all DEI content from their digital footprint.
It all comes when the military is preparing to kick all trans service members out.
At the Crossland location, David Smith, Deputy Director of the Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, is acting director of the DHA, and the department works through her alternative nomination process.
“Dr. Smith is a stable hand with decades of experience in uniformed military health systems. I ask Dr. Smith and the entire DHA team to support him. We will stabilize and strengthen the system that serves the deadliest combat forces on the planet,” Ferrara said.
Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, DHA employs approximately 130,000 civilians and military personnel to serve 9.5 million service members and military retirees and their families.
