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In a surprising move, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has instructed Army Chief of Staff General Randy George to resign and retire immediately. This decision leaves the Army without a chief of staff amid ongoing conflict with Iran, though military operations remain unaffected as they fall under the jurisdiction of U.S. Central Command.
General George, who began his four-year term as Army chief of staff in September 2023, previously served as the military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin between 2021 and 2022. His career path might have made him a target, as Hegseth has notably reshuffled several high-ranking military positions, including those of the Army’s vice chief of staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Meanwhile, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, appointed alongside General George, may also be anticipating changes.
Despite the abrupt nature of this decision, there is no known hostility between George and either the White House or Hegseth. Pentagon insiders dismiss any speculation that an incident involving a flyover of Kid Rock’s estate influenced the decision. However, Hegseth perceives the Army as slow to implement his reform initiatives. The Army’s role in air defense, coupled with the casualties from drone and missile attacks during the Iran conflict, raises questions about asset deployment for defense, as highlighted by recent drone attacks causing U.S. casualties.
Lieutenant General Christopher LaNeve, currently the Army Vice Chief of Staff, is poised to assume the role left by General George. LaNeve’s career trajectory mirrors George’s, given that LaNeve also served as Hegseth’s military assistant before his current appointment.
As the media often sensationalizes potential conflicts, it’s likely that speculation about tensions between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will soon become a focal point of coverage surrounding this development.
George was confirmed to a four-year term as Army chief of staff in September 2023. He had previously served as the military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021 to 2022. This double curse probably made him a marked man as Hegseth has replaced the vice chief of staff of the Army (see Army’s Number Two General Suddenly Replaced by Hegseth’s Senior Military Aide – RedState), the Chief of Naval Operations, the chief of staff of the Air Force, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (see You’re Fired: Trump Cans Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Presumably Over Emphasis on DEI – RedState). The Commandant of the Marine Corps was appointed the same month as General George, so I imagine he’s feeling the cool breeze of the axe in his imagination.
There isn’t any history of animosity between George and the White House or Hegseth. According to Pentagon sources, the flyby of Kid Rock’s estate did not figure into the decision (Hegseth Stops a Nonsensical and Virtue-Signaling Investigation of Army Aviators Dead in Its Tracks – RedState). Such a conflict would not be out of the question. Hegseth seems to see the Army as the service dragging its feet on his reform agenda (see Hegseth Eliminates Generals and Scraps Obsolescent Weapons to Jump Start the 21st Century Army – RedState). As the Army is responsible for air defense and, other than the mid-air collision between two tankers (Tragic Loss: CENTCOM Confirms Four American Heroes Killed in Iraq Non-Combat Crash – RedState), all of the U.S. casualties in the Iran War have been the result of drone and ballistic missile attacks, there may be concern over why the Army did not move sufficient assets to the theater for its defense; see Drone Attack That Destroyed U.S. Aircraft and Wounded Servicemembers Calls Preparedness Into Question – RedState.
The heir apparent is the Army Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Christopher LaNeve, who succeeded General James Mingus when Hegseth removed him. LaNeve was Hegeth’s military assistant and him moving to succeed George would be an odd parallel to George’s own career.
Given the media obsession with creating a narrative that has Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and each other’s throats, I can’t imagine that within 24 hours that storyline will not dominate media coverage of the event.
For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.