Esper promised more diversity at the Pentagon. The White House had other ideas.

SSG Robert Mark Odom Not Surprised in the Least "White House continues to install loyalists who are overwhelmingly white and male".

Summary: "Installing loyalists at DoD and other U.S. government agencies is nothing new for the Trump administration. Early this year, the White House began a campaign to root out Pentagon employees seen as disloyal and replace them with Trump acolytes. The administration has effectively skirted the Senate confirmation process by sending over people to fill open spots in an acting capacity, as opposed to the more traditional method of tapping people within the Pentagon." "A climate that values loyalty over expertise makes it harder to recruit the best people for the job, and undermines the military’s efforts to stay above politics."