Who’s in command? US Army’s top brass is thinning out as Hegseth fires generals amid Iran war

A series of dismissals and disputes involving US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has left the US Army without a permanent chief of staff as it grapples with growing threats from drones and missiles in the Middle East, New York Times reported.

The Army has been without its top officer since Hegseth fired Gen Randy George in April without explanation. At least three senior officers considered possible successors to George have also been forced out, according to officials cited by the NYT.

Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll, the service’s top civilian official, is also expected to leave the administration in the coming months, officials said. He has already moved out of the family home he had rented at Fort Myer near Washington.


The leadership turmoil comes as the Army faces its busiest period since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Army air-defence units are playing a key role in protecting US troops in the Middle East from increasingly sophisticated Iranian missile attacks, while the Army’s European command is providing intelligence and other support to Ukraine.

Driscoll and George had worked together on preparing the Army for a battlefield increasingly dominated by drones. The White House had also asked Driscoll late last year to help with efforts to secure a peace deal in Ukraine.

Those peace efforts have largely stalled, while the Army’s rapid modernisation push is being scaled back, officials said. Driscoll is also barely on speaking terms with Hegseth, according to the officials. The NYT reported, citing The Wall Street Journal, that Driscoll is expected to step down by the end of the year.

Beyond George, Hegseth has fired or forced out around half a dozen senior officers, reducing the number of experienced leaders at the top of the Army, officials said.

“Hollowing out the most battle-tested and most lethal, proven leaders in a time of war means troops are less safe and we’re less likely to win,” Representative Pat Ryan, Democrat of New York and a former Army intelligence officer, told NYT.

Ryan also warned that the dismissals could weaken the military’s nonpartisan character.

“We’re doing generational damage to the sense that the military is an apolitical trusted organization that swears an oath to the Constitution, not to a president,” he said to NYT.

Hegseth’s office referred questions about the firings and the Army’s leadership vacancies to the service. The Army declined to comment on Driscoll’s status, saying it does not speculate on “leadership changes.”

The Army defended its leadership in a statement.

“Army leaders exemplify the highest standards of duty, selflessness, and professional excellence,” said Cynthia O. Smith, an Army spokeswoman. “They are actively driving the Army’s mission forward, ensuring that our strategic objectives are met, our modernization efforts remain on track and our global readiness is never compromised.”

Four-star ranks shrink

The Army currently has five four-star generals, down from 10 in January 2025, when Hegseth became defence secretary, according to the NYT. Some positions have been eliminated, while others remain vacant or are being filled by officers from other services.

The Army’s Transformation and Training Command, which oversees the training and equipment of ground forces including Patriot missile crews, has also lacked a permanent leader. Hegseth selected Gen David M. Hodne for the position last year but fired him eight months later without explanation.

The vacancy comes as Patriot systems face increasing pressure from Iranian missile attacks. An Iranian missile struck prefabricated housing at a US base in Jordan on July 17, killing three American soldiers and injuring more than 100, the NYT reported.

In July, Hegseth reduced Gen Christopher T. Donahue’s command overseeing US ground troops in Europe from a four-star to a three-star position, potentially forcing him into retirement if he does not receive another four-star role.

Iran also launched waves of Shahed drones against US forces at the start of the war. One attack on a US Army base in Kuwait killed six soldiers. Donahue’s command had trained drone-defence teams using lessons from the Ukraine war, which were then sent to the Middle East.

George’s dismissal

The most significant leadership gap remains the Army chief of staff position left vacant after George’s dismissal. The chief is responsible for training and equipping Army forces and overseeing the purchase of key weapons, including Patriot interceptors and ATACMS systems.

George had struggled to develop a relationship with Hegseth, Army officials said. Hegseth had arrived at the Pentagon with deep mistrust of the Army’s senior leadership.

“The military I loved, I fought for, I revered,” Hegseth wrote in a 2024 book, “spit me out.”

Hegseth’s tensions with senior Army officers continued to grow. In October, he pushed out Gen James Mingus, the Army’s vice chief of staff, a year before his scheduled departure.

Hegseth and the White House subsequently nominated Gen Christopher LaNeve, Hegseth’s senior military aide, for the position.

Several lawmakers later placed a hold on LaNeve’s nomination amid concerns over Hegseth’s handling of personnel decisions and military ammunition stocks.

LaNeve eventually became vice chief in February. Less than two months later, Hegseth fired George during a 15-second phone call, defence officials told the NYT.

LaNeve is now serving as both vice chief of staff and acting chief. However, he does not currently have enough Republican support in the Senate to secure confirmation as the permanent chief.

One of those opposing his appointment is Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. She had believed Hegseth would allow George, also an Iowan, to complete his term through mid-2027. The New York Times reported, citing The Wall Street Journal, that Ernst’s objections to LaNeve’s appointment have contributed to his difficulty securing Republican support.

After George was dismissed, Ernst called President Donald Trump to complain, according to a congressional official familiar with the conversation. Trump told her the decision had been Hegseth’s.

“Tell the general I’m sorry,” Trump said.

For now, LaNeve continues to serve in both roles.

Critics warn that the leadership vacuum could leave the Army struggling to keep pace with Russia and China, which are advancing the use of artificial intelligence and drones on the battlefield.