Some US officials doubt the feasibility of mass firings at a time of global turmoil.

The Pentagon (Aerial view) (photo credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ TOUCH OF LIGHT) — The Pentagon (Aerial view)

Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team are drawing up a list of military officers to be fired, potentially including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two sources said, in what would be an unprecedented shakeup at the Pentagon.

The planning for the firings is at an early stage after Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory and could change as Trump’s administration takes shape, said the sources, who are familiar with the Trump transition and requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans.

One of the sources questioned the feasibility of a mass firing at the Pentagon.

It was also unclear if Trump himself would endorse the plan, although in the past, he has railed extensively against defense leaders who have criticized him. Trump has also spoken during the campaign of firing “woke” generals and those responsible for the troubled 2021 pullout from Afghanistan.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Military personnel are seen on the deck of the US guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG69) at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Japan May 22, 2018. (credit: Issei Kato/Reuters)

The second source said the incoming administration would likely focus on US military officers, who are seen as being connected to Mark Milley, Trump’s former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley was quoted in the book “War” by Bob Woodward, which was published last month, calling Trump “fascist to the core” and Trump’s allies have targeted him for perceived disloyalty to the former president.

“Every single person that was elevated and appointed by Milley will be gone,” the second source said.

“There’s a very detailed list of everybody that was affiliated with Milley. And they will all be gone.”

What roles do these people play in US defense?

The Joint Chiefs of Staff include the highest-ranking officers in the US military and comprise the heads of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, and Space Force.

The disclosure of plans to fire senior leaders of the US armed forces comes a day after Trump picked as his defense secretary Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator, and veteran who has signaled a willingness to clean house at the Pentagon.

“The next president of the United States needs to radically overhaul Pentagon senior leadership to make us ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. Lots of people need to be fired,” Hegseth said in his 2024 book “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.”

It is unclear if Hegseth’s lack of management experience could complicate his Senate confirmation and if a more traditional alternative for the position would carry out such sweeping dismissals.