Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, who held a key post as the United States’ senior military liaison to NATO, was abruptly relieved of her duties this week. The Pentagon confirmed her removal on Monday but did not provide any official reason for the decision.
Chatfield’s dismissal was first reported by Reuters. When questioned, Pentagon officials declined to elaborate, stating they had “nothing to offer right now” regarding the circumstances.
A highly accomplished naval officer, Chatfield had most recently served as the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee. A veteran helicopter pilot, she brought decades of operational and academic experience to the role.
Distinguished Career Spanning Decades
Born in Garden Grove, California, Chatfield graduated from Boston University in 1987 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and French. She earned her commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1988 and received her aviator wings in 1989.
Throughout her military career, she flew the SH-3, CH-46D, and MH-60S helicopters with several Helicopter Combat Support and Sea Combat Squadrons. She deployed in support of carrier strike groups and amphibious ready group operations across the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf.
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In addition to her aviation background, Chatfield held several high-level staff and academic assignments. These included roles with the Joint Staff’s J-5 Directorate, serving as deputy executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations, and as senior military assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
From 2001 to 2004, she taught political science at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She later led missions on the ground in Afghanistan, where she commanded a joint provincial reconstruction team in Farah Province in 2008.
Her career also included serving as type wing commander of Helicopter Sea Combat Wing for U.S. Pacific Fleet and as commander of Joint Region Marianas from 2017 to 2019. Prior to her NATO assignment, she served as President of the Naval War College between 2019 and 2023.
Chatfield holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School and earned a doctorate in education from the University of San Diego in 2009.
Decorations and Controversy
Vice Adm. Chatfield’s extensive list of military decorations includes the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, and multiple commendation medals from various branches of the military.
Although no official link has been made, Chatfield was one of 20 senior military leaders named in a letter last December by the conservative group American Accountability Foundation (AAF). The organization urged then-Secretary of State Pete Hegseth to dismiss those individuals, including Chatfield, as part of what the group described as efforts to counteract perceived ideological bias in the military.
The AAF promotes itself as a watchdog group focused on “aggressive research and investigations to advance conservative messaging.”
As of now, no further details have been released regarding the decision to relieve Chatfield of her NATO post.
