Pete Hegseth Reportedly Ousts Top Army Officer in Latest Command Shakeup

(AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly asked to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to retire as he seeks new leadership for the Army.

News of Hegseth’s decision was reported Thursday afternoon by CBS News. Sources told the outlet that the Defense secretary is seeking someone “who will implement President Trump and Hegseth’s vision for the Army.”

The report continued:

A senior Defense Department official told CBS News, “We are grateful for his service, but it was time for a leadership change in the Army.”

George previously served as the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021-2022, during the Biden administration, after decades of service. A career infantry officer and West Point graduate, George first served in the first Gulf War and the more recent conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Army chief of staff typically serves a four-year term. George was nominated for the position by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023, meaning he would typically have held the position until 2027.

Hegseth’s decision to have George step down was the latest in a long list of ousters of top officials during his time as head of the Defense Department. As noted by CBS News, his list of prior removals includes; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, and more.

The move came days after the Army announced the suspension of the crew that flew over Kid Rock’s home in an Apache helicopter. Hours after that announcement, Hegseth took to social media to report that the suspensions had been lifted.

A source told CBS News’s Jennifer Jacobs that George’s ouster was not related to the Kid Rock situation.

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