President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.

The Trump administration purged top military brass, firing Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force James Slice.

Caine, a three-star general whom Trump has praised since at least 2019, helped lead an operation in Iraq against the Islamic State during Trump’s first term.