Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired US Army Chief of Staff Randy George on Thursday, according to three defense officials. The dismissal marks the latest shake-up among the Pentagon’s most senior leadership.
The Pentagon confirmed that George, who had over a year remaining in his term, “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately.” The department expressed gratitude for George’s decades of service and wished him well, reports Reuters.
Two officials, speaking anonymously, said Hegseth also fired General David Hodne, who heads the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Major General William Green, chief of the Army Chaplain Corps.
No official reason was given for George’s departure. It comes as the US military builds up forces in the Middle East while conducting operations against Iran. Although most US strikes in the region are carried out by the Navy and Air Force, Army soldiers have been deployed for air defense.
The Army is the largest military branch, with around 450,000 active-duty troops. Thousands of soldiers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division have also begun arriving in the Middle East, potentially for ground operations in Iran.
There had been no public signs of tension between Hegseth and George, even as Hegseth pursued controversial moves – including firing the Army’s top lawyer and organising a massive military parade to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday, which coincides with Trump’s birthday.
Earlier, Hegseth reversed an Army decision to investigate pilots flying attack helicopters near singer Kid Rock’s house, in an apparent show of support for the prominent Trump backer. CBS News, which first reported George’s dismissal, said it was unrelated to the Kid Rock incident.
One official said Hegseth’s former military aide and Army vice chief of staff, General Christopher LaNeve, will take over George’s role on an acting basis.
Another official added that senior Army leadership learned of George’s firing at the same time it became public.
George, an infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was confirmed as Army chief of staff in 2023. The position typically carries a four-year term.
Before that, he was vice chief of the Army and, earlier, senior military adviser to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He was considered close to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll; together, they took on major defense contractors in the Army’s push to accelerate weapons development and reduce costs.
George’s removal adds to recent leadership upheaval across the Pentagon, including last year’s firing of former Joint Chiefs chairman Air Force General CQ Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and the Air Force vice chief of staff.
George’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
