U. S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, as confirmed by the Pentagon. This dismissal comes during an ongoing major war in the Middle East, marking a rare action to remove a military branch leader in wartime. George was removed effective immediately and had over a year left in his term. Additionally, General David Hodne and Major General William Green were also fired.
This change adds to recent instability in Pentagon leadership, which has seen other high-profile dismissals, including the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C. Q. Brown. The Pentagon did not provide an official reason for George’s removal, occurring while the U. S. military increases forces and operations in the Middle East against Iran. While air and naval forces have been primarily executing strikes, Army units have also deployed to support air defense.
The 82nd Airborne Division is sending thousands of soldiers to the region for possible ground operations. The Pentagon’s Joint Staff expressed gratitude for George’s service, acknowledging his dedication since 1988. There were no public signs of conflict between Hegseth and George, despite Hegseth’s controversial moves, including the dismissal of the Army’s top lawyer.
General Christopher LaNeve, a former aide to Hegseth and the Army’s vice chief of staff, will temporarily take over George’s position. Army leadership learned of the firing simultaneously with the public announcement. George, an experienced infantry officer, had only recently been confirmed as Chief of Staff in 2023, after serving as vice chief and being closely aligned with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The office for George did not immediately comment on his dismissal.
With information from Reuters
