Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has officially relieved Gen. Charles Hamilton of command as the head of Army Materiel Command, following an investigation into allegations of improper involvement in a subordinate’s promotion board.
The investigation, conducted by the Department of the Army Inspector General, found that Hamilton had engaged in a “flagrant abuse of authority” on behalf of a subordinate officer with whom he had an “inappropriate relationship.”
According to the inspector general report, Hamilton improperly encouraged an assessment board to promote a female lieutenant colonel after another board had unanimously denied her promotion by a 5-0 vote.
Despite the second panel also denying her promotion, Hamilton continued to lobby for the lieutenant colonel, contacting panel members and reviewing parameters.
The investigation found that Hamilton’s actions were motivated by his personal relationship with the lieutenant colonel, who was also his mentee. Hamilton had previously stated that he chose to mentor the lieutenant colonel because they shared a similar background as Black officers.
Wormuth suspended Hamilton earlier this year after officials found “credible allegations” of misconduct. The Army Inspector General investigation ultimately resulted in Hamilton’s firing, with Wormuth stating that the findings of the investigation had led to her decision to relieve him of command.
Hamilton maintains that he did not improperly interfere in the promotion process, stating that it was his honor to serve the nation and that he looks forward to continuing to serve in new ways.
The incident has raised concerns about the integrity of the Army’s promotion process, with some officials calling for changes to the Command Assessment Program (CAP) to increase transparency and prevent similar incidents in the future. Wormuth has announced plans to issue a directive formally establishing CAP as an enduring Army program, with the goal of reinforcing the integrity of the program and increasing transparency.
Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, the acting commander of Army Materiel Command, will continue in his current role pending the nomination of a permanent replacement.
