U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George was fired on Thursday, April 1, by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
As reported by Reuters, three U.S. defense officers confirmed the news in the latest purge among the Pentagon's most senior ranks.
Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth has moved quickly to reshape the department; firing a general during wartime is nearly without precedent.
The Pentagon confirmed that George, who had more than a year left in his term, "will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Army Staff effective immediately."
"It was grateful for George's decades of service. "We wish him well in his retirement."
Officials said Hegseth has also fired General David Hodne, who leads the Army's Transformation and Training Command, and Major General William Green, head of the Army's Chaplain Corps.
The department did not give a reason for George's departure, which comes as the U.S. military builds up its forces in the Middle East while carrying out operations against Iran.
US Army:
The Army is the largest branch of the U.S. military, with about 450,000 active-duty soldiers.
Thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division have arrived in the Middle East, potentially for ground operations in Iran.
Moreover, the U.S. strikes in the region are largely being carried out by the Navy and Air Force, although U.S. Army soldiers have been dispatched to the Middle East for air defense systems.
Latest Upheaval at Pentagon:
There had been no public signs of friction between Hegseth and George, even as Hegseth pursued controversial moves such as firing the Army's top lawyer and arranging a massive military parade to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday.
Earlier this week, Hegseth also reversed an Army decision to investigate Army pilots who were flying attack helicopters.
One of the officials added that senior Army leadership learned about George's firing at the same time as it was made public.
While another official informed, Hegseth's former military aide and Army vice chief of staff, General Christopher LaNeve, will take over George's role in an acting capacity.
Randy George was confirmed to the top Army post in 2023 and the terms in that role usually run for four years.
He served in several conflicts, including the first Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan and commanded, battalion, brigade, division, and corps levels throughout his career.
Prior to holding the top job, the infantry was the vice chief of the Army and, before that, the senior military adviser to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
He was considered close to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The two worked together to take on large defense companies in the Army's drive to speed up weapons development and drive down costs.
George's removal adds to recent upheaval at all levels of leadership at the Pentagon, including the firing last year of the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and Air Force vice chief of staff.
The move comes as the US remains engaged in a war-level confrontation with Iran amid ongoing military operations and strategic shifts
The news just came after Trump fired U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in a major role shift.
