US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has abruptly forced Army Chief of Staff General Randy George into immediate retirement amid the ongoing war with Iran, multiple US media outlets reported on Friday.
The outlets described the move as one of the most consequential Pentagon leadership upheavals in decades.
The decision also included the removal of General David Hodne, head of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Major General William Green, chief of the Army Chaplain Corps, in actions first reported by The Washington Post and later confirmed by CBS News and other organisations.
The ouster cuts short General George’s tenure roughly one and a half years into what is typically a four-year term and comes as US forces enter the fifth week of active operations against Iran.
CBS News quoted US defence officials as saying that Hegseth wanted leadership more closely aligned with President Donald Trump’s and his own vision for the Army.
George’s removal breaks with tradition and underscores growing tensions within the Pentagon. A career infantry officer and West Point graduate, he was nominated by then-President Joe Biden in 2023 and confirmed by the Senate to lead the Army.
His early retirement follows a broader pattern under Hegseth, who has dismissed or sidelined more than a dozen senior officers across the services, including top figures in the Air Force and Navy. Critics argue that such moves risk undermining the stability of military leadership during a major conflict.
Accounts by CNN and Reuters pointed to internal friction, noting that George worked closely with Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll and had resisted some of Hegseth’s personnel interventions.
The New York Times reported that tensions escalated over a promotion list after George and Driscoll declined to remove four minority and female officers at Hegseth’s request, citing their qualifications and service records.
