WASHINGTON, Apr 03: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth fired General Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff, on Thursday, a move that reflects growing hostility between Hegseth and the Army’s leadership, The New York Times reported.
Hegseth has fired numerous senior military officers and generals, many of them female or Black, leading some critics to question whether their race or gender contributed to their firing.
The Times reported in late March that he had blocked the promotion of two Black and two female Army officers to be one-star generals.
Gen. George’s removal comes as the U.S. military is engaged in a war with Iran and with a growing military presence, including elements of the Army, in the Middle East.
He was appointed to his position in 2023.
The tension with Hegseth was not rooted in substantive differences over the direction of the Army, the Times said, citing military officials.
Rather it is the product of Hegseth’s long-running grievances with the Army, battles over personnel and his troubled relationship with Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, it said.
Over the last year, General George and Driscoll had formed a tight partnership, officials said.
Hegseth has also clashed in recent months with General George and Driscoll over the defence secretary’s decision to block the promotion of four Army officers to be one-star generals.
General George is expected to be replaced by General Christopher LaNeve, who previously served as Hegseth’s senior military assistant in the Pentagon.
In addition to removing General George, Hegseth also fired General David Hodne, who was promoted in October to lead the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, a key four-star position focused on Army modernization and doctrine.
Hegseth also fired Maj. Gen. William Green, the Army’s top chaplain, an official told the Times.
Senior Army officials described General George’s dismissal as a blow to a service that has seen many of its top three- and four-star officers with deep experience fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan fired or sidelined in recent months, according to The New York Times.
In October, Gen. James Mingus, the Army’s vice chief of staff, was forced to step down from his position a year earlier than expected. His retirement was hastily announced with little input from senior Army leaders.
Senior Army officers reacted with anger and frustration to the news of General George’s dismissal, characterizing it as the latest blow to a service that already feels under siege by Hegseth, the newspaper said.
General George served multiple tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he earned a reputation as an innovative combat leader, the Times said.
In Afghanistan he pulled troops from remote valleys, where they were engaged in pointless battles, and refocused them on protecting population centers, it was pointed out.
Instead of just hunting the Taliban, he pressed his troops to also target and remove corrupt Afghan government officials who were terrorizing the Afghan people.
