- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired several senior Army officers, leaving no permanent chief of staff
- The Army's top officer role has been vacant since Gen Randy George's firing in April 2024
- At least six senior officers were removed amid ongoing Middle East and Ukraine conflicts
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to fire or force out several senior Army officers has left the country's Army without a permanent chief of staff. This comes at a time when the country is in the middle of a war it launched alongside Israel on Iran.
The Army has not had a chief of staff, its top officer, since Hegseth fired Gen Randy George in April. Officials said there is no sign that Hegseth is close to naming his replacement, according to The NY Times.
He has also removed at least three senior officers who were seen as possible successors to George. In total, around six senior Army officers have been fired or forced out.
The changes come as the Army is dealing with some of its busiest operations since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its air defence units are helping protect US troops in the Middle East from Iranian missile attacks. The Army is also providing intelligence and other support to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The US military is facing another major challenge – the growing use of drones. Cheap drones are now being used widely on battlefields. Iran and Russia have also developed more advanced missiles and drones.
Army Secretary Daniel P Driscoll is also expected to leave the Trump administration in the coming months. Driscoll was earlier seen as a possible replacement for Hegseth if he left his post or lost President Donald Trump's support, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Driscoll and George worked together on plans to prepare the Army for drone warfare. Driscoll was also given a key role in White House efforts to help end the war in Ukraine. Those efforts have largely stalled.
The Army is also losing senior four-star generals. In January 2025, when Hegseth became Defence Secretary, the Army had 10 active-duty four-star generals. It now has only five, the lowest number in decades. Some senior positions have been removed, while others are being filled by officers from other military services.
Several important posts remain vacant. One of them is the top job at the Army's Transformation and Training Command. The command is responsible for training and equipping ground troops, including soldiers who operate Patriot missile defence systems.
Hegseth appointed Gen David M Hodne to lead the command last year. However, he fired him eight months later without giving a reason. The vacancy comes as Patriot systems are being heavily used against Iranian missile attacks.
In October, Hegseth removed Gen. James Mingus as the Army's vice chief of staff, about a year before Mingus was expected to leave the post.
Hegseth and the White House then nominated Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who had served as Hegseth's senior military aide, to become the Army's second-highest-ranking officer.
Hegseth initially accused George of working with lawmakers who had blocked LaNeve's nomination. Congressional officials said that accusation was false. LaNeve was eventually sworn in as vice chief in February.
Less than two months later, Hegseth fired George during a phone call that lasted about 15 seconds, according to defence officials. LaNeve is now serving as both vice chief of staff and acting Army chief of staff. Both are four-star positions.
"Every shortcut in training and lapse in discipline will be paid for in blood," Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a former Iowa National Guard officer, warned, according to the NY Times.
Representative Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat and former Army intelligence officer, 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," he said.
