A garrison commander at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin has been suspended following an incident where photos of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were missing from the base’s chain-of-command board.
This marked yet another instance of apparent insubordination within military ranks.
Colonel Sheyla Baez Ramirez, who has served as garrison commander since July 2024, was removed from her position as the Pentagon continues to address what appears to be a pattern of discipline issues across military installations.
As garrison commander, Ramirez was said to be responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of the Wisconsin base.
The controversy began when social media posts circulated showing empty black frames where the photos of the three top officials should have been displayed.
This prompted immediate backlash online and triggered a Department of Defense investigation into the matter.
Task & Purpose reported that the images quickly spread across various platforms, drawing attention to what some critics have called a sign of resistance within military leadership.
While speculation has swirled that Ramirez deliberately omitted the photos, military officials have not confirmed this theory.
The Daily Mail noted that in an official statement, Fort McCoy’s senior commander, Major General Patrick J. Reinert said: “Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez has been suspended as Garrison Commander at Fort McCoy. This suspension is not related to any misconduct. We have no further details to provide at this time while this matter is under review.”
The Army Reserves initially claimed on April 14 that the leadership board had been vandalized, stating: “The Fort McCoy leadership team and the Army Reserve were unaware of the vandalism of the leadership board at a building at Fort McCoy, WI.”
“Once it was brought to their attention, the leadership at Fort McCoy took immediate action to correct it.” However, Ramirez’s subsequent suspension has raised questions about the accuracy of this initial assessment.
Defense Secretary Hegseth appears to be taking a firm stance on discipline within the ranks.
The Daily Mail highlighted that he recently retweeted a Breitbart story about Ramirez’s suspension that read: “Commander of Fort McCoy, whose base chain-of-command board was missing photos of Trump, Vance and Hegseth, has been SUSPENDED.”
This situation at Fort McCoy comes amid broader turmoil at the Pentagon, which has seen several top staffers dismissed following an investigation into information leaks.
The timing of these personnel changes indicates a significant shift in leadership approach and expectations within the Department of Defense under the new administration.
The Fort McCoy case also follows another recent disciplinary action involving Colonel Susannah Meyers, a Space Force commander who was removed from her position at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.
Meyers’ removal came after she sent an email appearing to distance herself from comments made by Vice President Vance during his visit to Greenland.
During that trip, Vance criticized Denmark’s oversight of the territory, stating, “This has to happen, and the reason, I hate to say it, is because our friends in Denmark have not done their job in keeping this area safe.”
The vice president’s comments came as part of the administration’s renewed interest in Greenland.
Military.com outlined that in her email to base personnel, which included Danish, Canadian, and Greenlandic staff members, Meyers wrote: “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”
She further committed that “for as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly — together.”
The Space Force cited a “loss of confidence in her ability to lead” as the reason for Meyers’ removal, adding that “commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties.”
Colonel Shawn Lee has since assumed command of the base.
