The Pentagon has placed several conservative military veterans with large social media followings in civilian government positions without publicly disclosing their specific assignments, according to people familiar with the matter and records reviewed by The Washington Post.
The appointments involve retired military officers who have become prominent conservative commentators and have publicly supported Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration.
Among those identified are retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness, retired Army Col. Kurt Schlichter and retired Army Col. Thomas Anderson, who writes online under the name Cynical Publius. Pentagon records reviewed by The Washington Post showed that Maness and Schlichter had active government email addresses carrying a “.civ” suffix and were assigned to the office of Anthony Tata, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
The records showed that Anderson had also been listed earlier this year with a civilian Pentagon email address and an assignment to Tata’s office. He was no longer listed in Pentagon records late last week, according to people familiar with the matter.
The three veterans have substantial audiences online. Maness has more than 135,000 followers on X, while Schlichter has nearly 620,000. Anderson has more than 323,000 followers on X. Their government assignments had not previously been publicly disclosed.
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The Pentagon did not tell The Washington Post whether the three were receiving taxpayer-funded salaries, what their specific responsibilities were or how long their assignments were expected to continue. Tata also did not respond to requests for comment, while Maness and Schlichter did not respond to requests for comment. Anderson declined to comment.
People familiar with the arrangements said the individuals were classified either as special government employees or highly qualified experts. Special government employees generally cannot work more than 130 days during a 365-day period, while highly qualified experts can serve under different arrangements, including full-time or part-time positions.
The appointments have drawn attention because the veterans continued to publish political commentary while their Pentagon affiliations were not publicly disclosed.
Maness has written that the Pentagon should remove what he described as “disloyal” career employees.
Schlichter has publicly praised Hegseth and President Donald Trump, while Anderson has frequently defended Hegseth’s efforts to reshape the military and criticized journalists and others who oppose the administration.
The three also appeared in May on behalf of the Pentagon’s Senior Service College Task Force at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, according to people familiar with the visit. The task force was established to examine military education and what Hegseth has described as “toxic” or “woke” ideology.
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The episode comes as Hegseth has pursued a broader effort to reshape the Pentagon’s relationship with the media and public. In 2025, the Defense Department introduced new restrictions for Pentagon journalists, prompting numerous established news organizations to leave the building. A new press corps with a larger presence of conservative outlets and independent creators subsequently gained access.
The Pentagon has also faced scrutiny over its relationship with conservative online personalities. Jennica Pounds, who uses the name DataRepublican online, recently disclosed that she had become a special government employee for the Defense Department after previously holding a Pentagon press credential.
The undisclosed assignments raise questions about transparency, potential conflicts of interest and the boundary between government communications and political advocacy. Former Republican congressman and Air Force veteran Adam Kinzinger questioned whether taxpayer funds were being used to support partisan messaging through social media influencers.
For the Pentagon, the controversy adds another layer to Hegseth’s effort to remake the department’s public image and internal priorities. But with the precise duties, compensation and duration of several of the appointments still unclear, questions remain about the extent of the influencers’ authority and their role inside the Defense Department.