Empty frames on a military base’s chain-of-command wall have sparked a high-profile suspension. At Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez was relieved of her duties as garrison commander after failing to display photos of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Fox News reported that the Department of Defense launched an investigation into why the chain-of-command wall at Fort McCoy lacked the required photos, prompting Ramirez’s suspension.
The U.S. Army Reserve Command oversees the base, which serves as a critical training and mobilization center. Ramirez assumed the role of garrison commander at Fort McCoy in July of the previous year.
Before this, she served as chief of the Reserve Program at the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
The chain-of-command wall is a longstanding tradition in military installations, meant to honor the hierarchy of leadership.
At Fort McCoy, the absence of photos for Trump, Vance, and Hegseth was seen as a significant oversight. The empty frames stood out starkly against the otherwise complete display.
The U.S. Army Reserve Command clarified that Ramirez’s suspension was not due to misconduct. “This suspension is not related to any misconduct,” the command stated in a release. They declined to provide further details pending the investigation’s outcome.
Following the suspension, the Department of Defense shared an updated image of the chain-of-command wall. The previously empty frames now contained the missing photos of Trump, Vance, and Hegseth. This swift correction underscored the importance of the tradition to military protocol.
The Fort McCoy incident is part of a broader wave of leadership changes across the U.S. military. Earlier this month, the Pentagon dismissed Col. Susan Meyers, the base commander at Pituffik Space Force Base in Greenland. Meyers’ dismissal followed her comments about Vice President Vance’s visit to the base.
On March 31, Meyers sent an email to Pituffik personnel, critiquing Vance’s concerns about the base’s operations.
She suggested his remarks did not accurately reflect the situation at the remote Arctic installation. The Space Force relieved her of command, citing a failure to maintain nonpartisan leadership.
The Space Force’s decision was based on a loss of confidence in Meyers’s ability to lead effectively. Her email was seen as undermining the chain of command, particularly with the vice president. This incident highlighted the military’s expectation of neutrality among its leaders.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also faced internal challenges within the Pentagon. Late last week, he dismissed four former aides amid infighting and a leak investigation. The turmoil added to the sense of upheaval within military leadership circles.
The leak investigation centered on a second Signal chat discussing Houthi strikes. This chat included Hegseth’s wife, brother, and personal lawyer, raising concerns about confidentiality.
The investigation’s findings have not been publicly disclosed, but the dismissals signaled a firm response. Ramirez’s suspension at Fort McCoy, while distinct, fits into this pattern of accountability measures.
The failure to display the chain-of-command photos was not labeled as intentional, but it carried significant symbolic weight. For many, it represented a lapse in honoring the nation’s leadership.
The Department of Defense’s probe into the Fort McCoy incident aims to clarify why the photos were missing.
Investigators are examining whether the oversight was due to administrative error or other factors. The outcome could shape future protocols for maintaining chain-of-command displays.