{"id":215777,"date":"2025-09-10T15:08:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T15:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/215777\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T15:08:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T15:08:13","slug":"army-boots-san-antonio-commander-after-right-wing-podcaster-targets-her-as-trans-activist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/215777\/","title":{"rendered":"Army boots San Antonio commander after right-wing podcaster targets her as ‘trans activist’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Col.Col. J. Brian Lanier (right) relinquishes command of the Army Institute of Surgical Research to Col. Elisa D. O\u2019Hern (left) during a change of command ceremony last year. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ U.S. Army<\/p>\n

The U.S. Army has removed the San Antonio-based commander of a top military medical site after a right-wing podcaster repeatedly accused her of being a transgender activist and demanded her firing, the Express-News reports<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Col. Elisa O\u2019Hern, a physician who headed the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, has been taken from that position after a little more than a year on the job, according to the daily. While she\u2019s still on active duty, her bio has been scrubbed from the website of the institute, the U.S. military\u2019s only dedicated burn center, the paper also reports.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Hern\u2019s removal comes after right-wing influencer Chase Spears \u2014 an Army veteran and self-described \u201cChrist-follower\u201d and \u201cfamily guy\u201d \u2014\u00a0fired off multiple tweets calling for her firing for showing support for the LGBTQ+ community. <\/p>\n

Spears first targeted O\u2019Hern in a March 2024 tweet in which he shared an undated photo of the Army officer \u2014 apparently off-duty \u2014\u00a0wearing face paint in the rainbow colors of the Pride flag and a button identifying herself as an \u201cAlly.\u201d In the pic, O\u2019Hern also wears a T-shirt reading, \u201cI don\u2019t care how you were raised, unlearn that shit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to the day when the military will no longer tolerate open wickedness from its officers,\u201d Spears fumed in his tweet. \u201cThis is U.S. Army Lt. Col. Elisa O\u2019Hern, a physician who advocates for the trans agenda, and fraudulently interfered with religious accommodation requests.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tweet offers no details to back up Spears\u2019 claim that O\u2019Hern committed fraud. <\/p>\n

Spears went after O\u2019Hern again in Aug. 29 of this year, claiming in a tweet<\/a> that the Army officer was promoted to her command role even though she\u2019s an \u201cactivist for \u00a0#transgender ideology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later that same day, Spears tweeted again<\/a>, this time triumphantly announcing the Army had booted O\u2019Hern from her command. The podcaster thanked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell and Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe WILL recover the U.S. Military, some days by inches, other days by miles,\u201d Spears added. \u201cStay motivated. We have much more work ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth has expressed complete support for President Donald Trump\u2019s directive to kick all transgender people from the military, publicly stating<\/a> he wants the the Pentagon to move beyond \u201cwokeness [and] weakness,\u201d which includes \u201cno more dudes in dresses.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Trump relied heavily<\/a> on MAGA influencers to reach voters in last year\u2019s election, the administration has also displayed a willingness to give those voices outsized influence in its decision making. For example, conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer has successfully lobbied<\/a> the White House to sack aides in top government roles.<\/p>\n

In comments to the Express-News, an Army spokesman downplayed O\u2019Hearn\u2019s departure from the leadership role, saying personnel can be rotated out of command positions after 12 months on the job under current regulations. He denied further comment on the matter. <\/p>\n

However, Spears was willing to speak to the daily and took a victory lap over O\u2019Hern\u2019s removal. He admitted he didn\u2019t know the former commander but added that the opinions she expressed in her \u201cally\u201d photo made her unfit for her role. <\/p>\n

\u201cTransgender ideology has always been opposed to what the military is about, which is preserving the Constitution, preserving the basic virtues and values of this nation,\u201d Spears told the Express-News.<\/p>\n

Spears also told the Express-News he\u2019s aware that U.S. military rules allow personnel to express political opinions when off-duty and out of uniform. Still, he asserted that O\u2019Hern\u2019s action had somehow crossed a line.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe as military members still retain some right of expressive agency, but there are still rules of decency,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s certain things you cannot go out and advocate for, even in your personal capacity, and not expect there to be professional repercussions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This article appears in Sep 3-17, 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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