The chaos in the United States Government continues. If yesterday it was known that the president, , had dismissed the hitherto attorney general, , a few hours later, already at dawn in Spain, another bombshell has arrived: the chief of the Army General Staff, , has been fired by the Secretary of Defense, , according to three American defense officials. It is the latest purge among the Pentagon’s top brass.
Although Hegseth – a former Fox News anchor with no management experience, known in the environment – has acted quickly to restructure the department, removing a general in times of war is practically unprecedented.
The Pentagon confirmed that George, who had more than a year left in his term, “will retire from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately.” In a statement, he expressed gratitude for George’s decades of service. “We wish him the best in his retirement,” he added.
Two of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hegseth also removed Gen. David Hodne, head of the Army Training and Transformation Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green, head of the Army Chaplain Corps.
Without explanations and in the middle of an unknown crisis
The department did not give a reason for George’s departure, which comes as the U.S. military conducts operations against Iran.
US attacks in the region are carried out primarily by the Navy and Air Force, although US Army soldiers have been sent to operate air defense systems. The Army is the largest branch of the US Armed Forces, with approximately 450,000 soldiers on active duty.
Thousands of soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have also begun arriving in the Middle East, possibly for ground operations in Iran.
The latest commotion at the Pentagon
There had been no public signs of friction between Hegseth and George, even as Hegseth took controversial steps such as firing the Army’s top legal adviser and organizing a large military parade to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary, which coincided with Trump’s birthday.
Earlier this week, Hegseth also reversed an Army decision to investigate pilots flying attack helicopters near the singer’s home, in an apparent show of support for the ardent Trump supporter. , which was the first outlet to report on the firing, stated that it was unrelated to the Kid Rock incident.
One of the officials indicated that Hegseth’s former military adviser and deputy chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Christopher LaNeve, will take over for George on an interim basis.
Another official added that Army senior management learned of George’s firing at the same time it became public.
George, an infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was confirmed to the Army’s top job in 2023. Terms in that position typically last four years.
Before taking the top job, George was deputy chief of the Army and, before that, senior military advisor to then-Secretary of Defense, .
He was considered close to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Both collaborated to take on large defense companies, within the framework of the Army’s effort to accelerate weapons development and reduce costs.
George’s ouster adds to recent instability at all levels of Pentagon leadership, including the dismissal last year of the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and the deputy chief of staff of the Air Force.
George’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
