George asked to leave without explanation

Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, has told Army Chief of Staff General Randy A. George to step down immediately, a move announced as the United States and Israel continue their war with Iran.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement posted on X late Thursday that George “will be retiring from his position.” No reason was offered for the abrupt decision, which arrived in the middle of wartime, because apparently timing is no longer a concern.

Parnell added that the Defense Department was “grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation.”

CBS was first to report the dismissal, which is the latest high-profile military removal since Hegseth took office in January 2025.

According to CBS, a source said Hegseth wants someone in the role who will carry out his and President Donald Trump’s vision for the Army.

Friction over promotions

George, 61, was appointed to the post in 2023 by former President Joe Biden. He has served in multiple overseas postings, including during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As Army chief of staff, George was credited with trying to strip out duplication in the service and push newer technologies, including low-cost missile interceptor drones and artificial intelligence-based targeting systems.

The New York Times reported that the dismissal followed tensions between George and Hegseth over the defense secretary’s decision to stop four Army officer promotions from a list of 29 personnel. The paper said most of the officers on that list were white men, while the four blocked officers included two Black officers and two women, citing unnamed military officials.

Senior officers later questioned whether race or gender had influenced the decision. When George reportedly asked Hegseth for a meeting about the matter two weeks ago, Hegseth declined.

The Times also reported that rumors about George’s removal had been circulating for weeks before Hegseth informed him in a phone call around 4 p.m. local time on Thursday.

More senior dismissals

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, which represents the most senior uniformed military leaders, issued a public tribute to George after news of his departure.

“Since 1988, General George and his family have consistently answered the nation’s call with honor and dedication,” the statement said. “We are profoundly thankful to General George and his wife, Patty, for their many years of sacrifice and devotion to those who serve. As they graduate from this distinguished chapter of service and look toward the future, we wish them both continued happiness and success in all that lies ahead.”

George was not the only senior Army figure dismissed on Thursday, according to the Times and Stars and Stripes. Hegseth also reportedly removed:

  • General David M. Hodne, head of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, which focuses on modernizing the force
  • Major General William Green Jr., the Army’s chief of chaplains, who was also appointed in 2023

The Pentagon has not confirmed those removals.

Army chaplains typically provide spiritual support, moral guidance and confidential counseling to soldiers and their families, no matter their religious background.

The dismissals come as US and Israeli officials have, since the start of the Iran war, described the conflict in religious terms. In March, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation said it received emailed complaints from service members who were told by senior commanders that the war with Iran was intended to “cause Armageddon,” or bring about the biblical “end times.”

In another recent departure, former Army vice chief of staff General James J. Mingus retired in October a year earlier than expected. No explanation was provided then either, which is becoming something of a theme.