In a stunning shake-up at the Pentagon, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed Army Chief of Staff General Randy George from his post, along with two other high-ranking officers, in one of the most dramatic military leadership changes in recent years, according to Reuters.
Pentagon officials confirmed on Thursday that General George, who had more than a year left in his four-year term, will retire immediately. The statement thanked him for his decades of service but did not give a reason for his sudden removal.
Two other generals, Major General William Green, chief of the Army Chaplain Corps, and General David Hodne, head of the Army Transformation and Training Command, were also dismissed, according to three defense officials speaking anonymously to Reuters.
The dismissals come at a tense moment for the U.S. military, which is expanding its presence in the Middle East amid rising operations against Iran. Though most strikes have involved the Navy and Air Force, thousands of Army troops, including units from the elite 82nd Airborne Division, have recently arrived in the area, possibly preparing for ground operations.
Firing an Army chief during an active conflict is almost unheard of, making this move especially controversial. Hegseth, a former Fox News host and close ally of former President Donald Trump, has wasted little time in reshaping the Pentagon’s top ranks since becoming war secretary.
Earlier, Hegseth made headlines for dismissing the Army’s top lawyer and planning a large military parade to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary which notably coincided with Trump’s birthday. He also intervened to halt an investigation into helicopter pilots accused of flying dangerously close to singer Kid Rock’s home, a gesture widely seen as political.
There had been no visible tension between Hegseth and George before the announcement, and many Army leaders reportedly learned about the firing only after the news broke publicly. General Christopher LaNeve, George’s former deputy, will step in as acting chief.
General George, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran known for his quiet professionalism and reform-minded leadership, was considered a steady hand during a time of transition. His sudden exit now adds to growing turbulence across the Pentagon, following last year’s firings of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other top service chiefs.
The unexpected purge leaves Washington and the military community asking the same question: What’s really driving Pete Hegseth’s shake-up?
