Trump's America will include a dumbed down military, straight out of the Stalin, Pinochet, Saddam, Putin, Hitler books of strategy. A move towards loyalty in the military leadership ranks as the means of judgement for fitness will ruin the world's greatest military institution.
The military fitness review process in the U.S. primarily involves evaluations conducted within the military chain of command, focusing on the physical, mental, and professional capabilities of military leaders. This process does not typically involve political appointees. Instead, it is managed by military personnel to ensure that leaders meet the necessary standards for their roles.
This process has evolved over the century of its existence into a great process that largely guarantees seperation of the existing military from the whims of politicians. Through this process, the United States is the greatest military power in the World regardless of which party is in the White House.
Like many authoritarians, faced with destroying democracies in their country, Chile's Pinochet immediately targeted existing military leadership in 1973. He purged them through arrests, reassignment and forced retirements. They were replaced in favor of less competent loyalists who refused to contradict his command, no matter how immoral. He would then use the military to suppress political opposition for his 17 year reign.
Authoritarian regimes often weaken their military by prioritizing loyalty over competence in leadership appointments. They do this to use the military as they see fit, especially against their own citizens. This undermines military effectiveness, as seen in other historical examples like Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, Nazi Germany under Hitler and Putin's Russia. The fear of coups drives this practice, leading to constant strategic and operational blunders. Ultimately, this leads to severe weakening of the military capabilities of these countries under authoritarian rule.
https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trump-draft-executive-order-would-create-board-to-purge-generals-7ebaa606?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1RSF1IxN51Y_BfKiDMuFUBbEl9SOdGXGdz6grBpv-cuxQRM2j68tG6cjM_aem_fSk7rmcY-V1JNy9A-50Vsw