Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez, the garrison commander of Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, has been suspended from her post as of April 18, according to a statement released by the U.S. Army Reserve. Officials emphasized that her suspension was not related to misconduct, though they provided no additional details, leaving questions swirling in its wake.
The timing of Baez Ramirez’s suspension is notable. It came just days after the Defense Department launched an investigation into photographs circulating on social media that showed a Fort McCoy leadership board conspicuously missing the portraits of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In the military, such command boards are omnipresent — serving as a visual chain of authority from the president down to the local commanders.
The missing photos ignited a firestorm online, with accusations flying that the omissions were politically motivated under Baez Ramirez’s command. However, Army officials have publicly stated that they have found no evidence linking Baez Ramirez to the incident. In fact, according to an April 14 post on X by Army Reserve leadership, Fort McCoy’s command team acted swiftly to correct the vandalism once it was brought to their attention.
Still, the Army Reserve has confirmed an investigation is ongoing to determine “the facts and circumstances” surrounding the incident. Officials declined to clarify whether the term “vandalism” indicated malicious intent or something less severe, further deepening the mystery.
The Defense Department’s “Rapid Response” social media account addressed the situation directly, posting a before-and-after photo of the leadership board and confirming that corrective action had been taken.
The Fort McCoy episode echoes a similar incident earlier this month involving Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, who was removed from her post as U.S. representative to the NATO Military Committee. In that case too, rumors swirled that incomplete command boards played a role. But officials later insisted that the missing photo claims were unfounded and unrelated to Chatfield’s dismissal.
Located in Wisconsin’s Monroe County, Fort McCoy serves as a critical hub for active-duty, Reserve, and Army National Guard soldiers, hosting major exercises and cold-weather training events throughout the year. Baez Ramirez took command of Fort McCoy in July 2023, bringing a long résumé of distinguished service, including deployments to Bosnia and leadership roles across Fort Belvoir, Fort Bragg, and South Korea.
Her academic credentials are similarly impressive, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology/mental health from the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
As the investigation continues, the Army Reserve remains tight-lipped, leaving the public to speculate whether Baez Ramirez’s suspension is a cautionary tale about accountability—or merely a coincidental administrative move at a time of heightened sensitivity within the military’s ranks.
