President Donald Trump on Friday evening fired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement that Trump plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, who joined the venture capital firm Shield Capital in January, as the nation’s next chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

“General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment,” Hegseth said. “I look forward to working with him.”

No replacements for Franchetti — the first woman to serve as a service chief — or Slife were announced. Hegseth said he is requesting nominations to fill their roles.

Franchetti and Slife “have had distinguished careers,” Hegseth said. “We thank them for their service and dedication to our country.”

Since Trump’s reelection, rumors have swirled in Washington about Brown’s precarious position and possible firing.

Brown, who was the second Black chairman and the first Black officer to serve as a service chief, became a target for some commentators and lawmakers for his openness to diversity initiatives.

In his statement, Hegseth said Brown “has served with distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service. I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country.”

The tenor of that statement differed from Hegseth’s remarks on Brown in his book, The War on Warriors, and in interviews before Hegseth was nominated as defense secretary.

“You think CQ Brown will think intuitively about external threats and internal readiness?” Hegseth wrote. “No chance. He built his generalship dutifully pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians, who in turn rewarded him with promotions.”

As a list of generals who could be fired circulated on Capitol Hill, lawmakers of both parties sent Hegseth a letter earlier Friday asking for more transparency on officer removals to keep the process apolitical.

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.