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A rmy Secretary Dan Driscoll has become the latest high-ranking U.S. military official to leave the Pentagon amid reports of tensions with Secretary Pete Hegseth . No official reason has been offered for Driscoll’s departure following 18 months in the role but it comes after CNN and Reuters said he had been butting heads with Hegseth for several months . According to sources cited by The Atlantic , Driscoll recently “brought up concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and readiness and Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing the generals who were responsible.” His mission was seemingly unsuccessful.
Nevertheless, President Donald Trump was said to be “surprised and concerned” about the number of the cuts to the department and the seniority of those who have left, The Atlantic reports. The department now has fewer generals than any point in recent history, the outlet adds. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has endured a turbulent period in charge of the Department of Defense, defined by culture war vendettas and high staff turnover (AP) White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement addressing the latest exit: “Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more.
“The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the commander-in-chief and secretary of war.” The Independent has reached out to the Pentagon and the U.S. Army for further comment. Driscoll is an Iraq War veteran, tech investor and former adviser to Vice President JD Vance , whom he befriended while they were contemporaries at Yale Law School.
When nominating Driscoll in 2024, Trump hailed him as “a disruptor and change agent.” He went on to make good on that reputation by championing the development of drone warfare technology – only for Hegseth to shut down a European unit focused on that field last month and order it to return to its “core” mission of airborne infantry. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a close friend of Vice President JD Vance, is the latest official to pass through the revolving door (Getty) The secretary’s tenure at the Department of Defense has been defined by upheaval, with Hegseth pursuing culture war vendettas against DEI appointments and “woke” values while insisting on loyalty and on the need to nurture a high-testosterone “warfighter” mentality, culminating in an unpopular war the administration was warned against starting and which threatens to dangerously diminish U.S. munitions stockpiles. Despite the secretary’s attempts to control the narrative, there has also been a steady stream of negative stories about “petty middle-school drama” carrying on at within a department said to be crippled by paranoia , officials claiming they were dismissed for questioning orders and Republican lawmakers losing faith .
It also comes amid growing concerns about how long the war with Iran has gone on for, recently entering its seventh month with no end on sight . A recent Pentagon assessment warned Hegseth that maintaining the current level of military operations against Tehran could leave the U.S. less able to respond to threats elsewhere and protect the homeland, according to a Washington Post report last week . Here’s a look at some of the other high-profile figures who have left their jobs at Hegseth’s instigation.
Gen. Charles Q Brown Jr Gen. Charles Q Brown Jr was one of the first to be dismissed by Hegseth (Getty) The first casualty of Hegseth’s tenure was the 40-year Air Force veteran , who was replaced by Lieutenant General Dan “Razin’” Caine as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February 2025.
Brown, who had made history as the Air Force’s first African American chief of staff, had been in the post for 16 months and had expected to continue his term until the fall of 2027. Trump said in a statement announcing Caine’s nomination that he had been “overlooked” by his predecessor Joe Biden, an apparent slight on Brown, who was nevertheless praised as “a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader.” Adm. Lisa Franchetti No reason was given for the removal of the trailblazing Amd.
Lisa Franchetti (Getty) Hegseth also fired Franchetti – the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs – that same month without explanation. Biden had nominated her over the preference of his own defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, convinced by her vast experience in command and executive decision making. Hegseth’s opposition invited concern from other women in the service , who feared they too could be blocked from advancing.
Gen. Tim Haugh Gen. Tim Haugh was reportedly dismissed under the influence of MAGA influencer Laura Loomer (Reuters) Next to go was the director of the U.S.
National Security Agency , who was fired along with his deputy Wendy Noble in April last year. Haugh and Noble’s departures reportedly came after consultation with MAGA influencer Laura Loomer, who beamed on X that they had been dismissed because they had been “disloyal to President Trump” and “handpicked” by former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley.
Loomer’s role in the firings led to expressions of concern on Capitol Hill. Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield Vice Adm.
Shoshana Chatfield was axed after reportedly appearing on a ‘woke’ list (US Navy) Four days after Haugh’s axing, the former Navy helicopter pilot and combat veteran was fired from her role as U.S. representative to the NATO Military Committee. That came after she reportedly appeared on a “woke” list drawn up by the Trump administration, which took exception to her past advocacy for diversity in the Armed Forces. According to the Associated Press, Chatfield was informed by Admiral Christopher Grady, the then-acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs, that the administration wanted to go in a different direction.
Gen. David Allvin Former Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Allvin was persuaded to take retirement two years early (Getty) The following August, the Air Force chief of staff was dismissed with the same message as Chatfield, prompting him to retire two years into his four-year term.
Allvin was thanked for his “transformational” efforts in the role but an insider told The Washington Pos t his early retirement was “certainly not his choice.” The general nevertheless issued a statement in which he said: “More than anything, I’m proud to have been part of the team of airmen who live out our core values of integrity, service and excellence every day as we prepare to defend this great nation.” Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse Lt.
Gen. Jeffrey Kruse led the Defense Intelligence Agency, which angered President Trump by undermining his rhetoric on Iran (Getty) There were to be more departures that month, including that of Kruse as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, which had determined that the administration’s Operation Midnight Hammer airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities were less effective than Trump and Hegseth had claimed . While the president and his secretary had repeatedly insisted Iran’s capabilities had been “obliterated,” the DIA put out a report suggesting they had only been set back by a matter of months, infuriating Trump.
Also leaving their posts at this time were Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, departing as chiefs of the Navy Reserve and Naval Special Warfare Command respectively.
Gen. Randy George Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George’s dismissal a matter of weeks into the war was met with concern (Reuters) After a period of relative calm – other than the loss of three-star Lt.
Gen. Joe McGee from the Pentagon’s Joint Staff in October – Hegseth dismissed the Army’s chief of staff in April this year, perhaps his most controversial call coming a little over a month into the Iran conflict. The decorated veteran’s firing reportedly came after another clash with Hegseth and was met with solemn scenes when he broke the news to colleagues and indignation in Congress, where the Senate Armed Forces Committee pressed the secretary for an explanation.
The Army’s top uniformed officer has since been replaced on an acting basis by Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. Navy Secretary John Phelan Navy Secretary John Phelan came after Hegseth determined new leadership was needed (Getty) Three weeks after George was let go, Hegseth ousted the head of the Navy , replacing him with then-undersecretary Hung Cao on an acting basis, shortly after Iran’s move to shut off the Strait of Hormuz caused a spike in global oil prices.
“President Trump and Secretary Hegseth agreed new leadership at the Navy is needed,” a senior administration official told The Independent at the time. The plight of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln , diverted to the Gulf because of the war and starved of necessities, has since come to light, drawing attention to the strain being placed on U.S. military resources by the war. Gen.
Christopher Donahue Gen. Christopher Donahue is a legend in the U.S. military for being the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021 (U.S. Army Europe and Africa) Prior to Driscoll, the most recent departure from the military’s hierarchy was the commander of U.S.
Army forces in Europe and Africa. Donahue was famously the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021 and enjoyed a distinguished career leading Delta Force units in Iraq and Afghanistan before commanding the 82nd Airborne Division. Maj.
Gen. Christopher Norrie, Donahue’s deputy, has since stepped in as his interim replacement.
Source: The Independent
