Army Chief of Staff resigns at Pete Hegseths request

(Washington) In the midst of the war in Iran, the Pentagon announced the departure of the Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Randy George, a dismissal that adds to the list of high-ranking officials sidelined by the Trump administration over the past year.

Published yesterday at 17:04.

The Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, secured the immediate departure of General George, according to an anonymous American official on Thursday.

“This very senior officer will step down from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army, with immediate effect,” wrote Sean Parnell, the Pentagon spokesperson, shortly after, wishing him “a happy retirement.”

Mr. Parnell did not provide the reason for this sudden departure.

CBS News, which broke the news, quoted an anonymous American official stating that Pete Hegseth wanted to appoint someone who could implement the vision of Donald Trump and his minister for the Army.

General Christopher LaNeve’s name is on the top of the list to succeed Randy George, according to American media outlets on Friday.

General LaNeve, who has been the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army since January, is currently serving as the interim Chief of Staff, as reported by CBS and several other media sources, including CNN and the New York Times.

In a message on the platform X in January, Pete Hegseth praised an “exceptional leader for a generation,” forged by “the crucible of combat” and with “several decades of operational experience.”

General LaNeve has previously led the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army, famous for its involvement in the D-Day landing and battle of Normandy in June 1944.

Purge among high-ranking officers

General Randy George, a graduate of the prestigious West Point Military Academy who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army in 2023, during President Joe Biden’s term.

His retirement marks another forced departure among the highest-ranking officers of the US Army since Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025.

The American president had, without explanation, dismissed Charles “CQ” Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in February 2025, to replace him with Dan Caine.

Since then, the heads of the Navy, Coast Guard, NSA, and many others have been pushed out by the Trump administration.

Two other generals, David Hodne and William Green Jr, were also removed along with General George, as confirmed by a Pentagon official on Friday, citing reports from the Washington Post and CBS.

Pete Hegseth, heading a ministry renamed as the “Ministry of War,” stated that he simply chooses the leaders he wants to run the world’s largest military budget.

Democratic opposition lawmakers have expressed concerns about the potential politicization of the military, traditionally more isolated from political battles than the rest of the US government apparatus.

Pete Hegseth also decided last year to reduce the number of top brass across the entire military.