Global
The Pentagon has sparked controversy by appointing conservative retired military personnel, who possess extensive influence on social media, to civilian government roles whose details have not been publicly disclosed. This move comes as Undersecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth engages in cultural and political battles, with the appointees consistently supporting his stances and criticizing opponents of the Donald Trump administration, according to media reports. The list of appointees includes retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness, retired Army Colonel Curt Schilling, and Thomas Anderson, a retired colonel and lawyer known for writing under the pseudonym "Cynical Publius." Pentagon records show Maness and Schilling have active government email addresses and are affiliated with Undersecretary Anthony Tata's office. Anderson was previously registered with the department. These individuals are categorized as "Special Government Employees" or "Highly Qualified Experts," classifications allowing the government to utilize personnel from outside the traditional civil service for specific tasks. All three maintain a significant presence on "X"; Maness has over 135,000 followers, Schilling around 620,000, and Anderson more than 323,000. However, the nature of their assigned duties, whether they receive taxpayer-funded salaries, or the duration of their appointments, remains undisclosed. The department declined to comment, and some involved individuals did not respond. These appointments coincide with Tata's team's focus on cultural and political issues within the military. This includes reviewing military colleges for what the administration terms "woke ideas" and evaluating Biden administration policies regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for the military. The three appointees participated in the review team, holding meetings with students and professors at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. In a related context, Hegseth imposed new restrictions on Pentagon journalists last year, leading to dozens of departures. Subsequently, he introduced a new press corps predominantly leaning right-wing, according to media reports. This issue follows a similar controversy involving conservative influencer Jenka Ponds, who worked as a journalist at the Pentagon before revealing she had become a special government employee. The incident raised questions about the necessity for influencers to disclose their government affiliation during media activities. Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican Congressman and Air Force veteran, questioned whether the Pentagon is using taxpayer money to employ "X" influencers to disseminate partisan political messages. Some new appointees openly support the Undersecretary of Defense; Maness, for instance, previously criticized "disloyal" Pentagon employees and defended Hegseth's policies. Schilling posted public praise for the Undersecretary on "X," writing in August: "We are lucky to have Pete Hegseth." Anderson defended Hegseth's efforts to reshape the military, previously writing about the need to eliminate "cancer" within the U.S. Army ranks. Despite the Trump administration's claims of Defense Department transparency, the Pentagon has not publicly disclosed the roles of these influencers or the details of their financial arrangements. This issue places the use of influential digital figures within U.S. government institutions under increased scrutiny, particularly when media and political roles intertwine with official departmental work.
