Five former Pentagon chiefs have issued an open letter urging Congress to hold immediate hearings regarding President Donald Trump’s recent dismissals of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior defense officials.

 In the letter, former Defense Secretaries Lloyd Austin, James Mattis, Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta, and William Perry contended that there was no valid justification for Trump’s decision to remove Air Force Gen.  CQ Brown from his role as the leader of the Joint Chiefs earlier this month.  Following Brown’s dismissal, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also fired Adm.  Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations; Gen.  The Judge Advocates General (JAG) for the various services and Vice Chief of the Air Force Jim Slife. According to the letter, "We, like many Americans, including many troops, are therefore left to conclude that these leaders are being fired for purely partisan reasons." It further emphasized, “We’re not asking members of Congress to do us a favor; we’re asking them to do their jobs.”

 The Defense Department and the White House press office were contacted for comment on Friday by The Epoch Times. “As former Secretaries of Defense, we call on both the House and the Senate to hold immediate hearings to assess the national security implications of Mr.  Trump's firings," the letter pleaded. “The House and Senate should demand that the administration justify each firing and fully explain why it violated Congress’ legislative intent that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff complete a four-year term in office.”

 Spanning both Republican and Democratic administrations over the past three decades, the five former defense chiefs included Mattis, who was nominated by Trump during his first term.  Mattis later resigned in February 2019 following policy disagreements with Trump, particularly regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.

 Highlighting that Brown had not yet completed his term, the former Pentagon leaders recommended that U.S. senators withhold confirmation of any new Department of Defense (DOD) nominations, including Trump’s selection of retired Lt.  Gen.  Dan Caine as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 The chairman typically serves a four-year term, and Brown had only served approximately 17 months.

 While some three-star and four-star officers have been fired in the past, Pentagon leadership has always provided specific justifications. Conflicting military strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan, oversight lapses of nuclear arsenals, and public criticism of presidential policies have all served as justifications in the past. Upon Brown’s dismissal, Trump acknowledged his years of military service and reiterated his support for Caine as the new Joint Chiefs chairman.

 “He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump wrote on social media last week.  He added, "but not anymore," to his claim that Caine had been "passed over" for promotion during the Biden administration. Trump also stated that, in collaboration with Hegseth, “Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military.”

 “Finally, I have also directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high-level positions, which will be announced soon,” Trump said.

 Many congressional Republicans have defended Trump’s authority to dismiss Brown, emphasizing his role as commander-in-chief.

 “I think the president is entitled to have his team, including on the Joint Chiefs,” said Sen.  Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).  “And I thought the president handled that well, thanked him for his service and a distinguished career, but it’s probably time for change.”

 Rep.  Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), a former Navy SEAL, supported Brown’s removal, stating that officials linked to the previous administration should step aside.

 “The folks from that era just need to go away,” Van Orden said.  "We require a fresh start at the DOD."