(Washington) In the midst of the war in Iran, the Pentagon announced the departure of the chief of staff of the US Army, General Randy George, a dismissal that adds to the list of high-ranking officials removed by the Trump administration over the past year.
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The Defense Minister, Pete Hegseth, obtained the immediate departure of General George, a US official said on Thursday under anonymity.
This very senior official “will leave his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army with immediate effect,” wrote Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s spokesperson, shortly after, wishing him “a happy retirement.”
Mr. Parnell did not provide the reason for this sudden departure.
CBS News, which revealed the information, cited an anonymous US official who stated that Pete Hegseth wanted to appoint someone in his place who could implement Donald Trump’s and his minister’s vision for the Army.
General Christopher LaNeve’s name is leading to succeed Randy George, as reported by American media outlets on Friday.
General LaNeve, the deputy chief of staff of the Army since January, is taking on the role of interim chief of staff immediately, according to CBS, CNN, and the New York Times.
In a post on the X platform in January, Pete Hegseth praised an “exceptional leader for a whole generation,” with “a proven combat record” and “several decades of operational experience.”
General LaNeve has previously led the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army, notably during the D-Day landing and the Battle of Normandy in June 1944.
Purge among high-ranking officials
General Randy George, a graduate of the prestigious West Point military academy who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army in 2023, during President Joe Biden’s term.
His retirement marks another forced departure among the highest-ranking officials of the US Army since Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025.
In February 2025, President Trump dismissed Charles “CQ” Brown, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, without explanation, and replaced him with Dan Caine.
Since then, leaders of the Navy, Coast Guard, NSA spy agency, and many others have been pushed out by the Trump administration.
Two other generals, David Hodne and William Green Jr., were also relieved of their duties at the same time as General George, according to a Pentagon official confirming reports from the Washington Post and CBS.
Pete Hegseth, at the helm of a ministry he renamed as the “War Ministry,” assured that he simply chooses the leaders he wants to run the world’s largest military.
Democratic opposition lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the military, traditionally more isolated from political battles than other parts of the US government apparatus.
Last year, Pete Hegseth also decided to reduce the number of senior military officials across the entire Army.
