Hegseth’s purge of top generals leaves the Army rudderless
The service has lost half of its four-star generals as senior leaders are pushed out and the confirmation fight over a new chief stalls, officials said.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April via a roughly 15-second phone call, leaving the Army without a confirmed permanent leader. The purge reduced active four-star generals from 10 to just five, the fewest in decades.
- Styling himself "Secretary of War" through a Trump executive order, Hegseth arrived at the Pentagon with deep suspicions of Army leadership rooted in his own military experience. George struggled to forge a relationship with him, officials said.
- President Donald Trump privately distanced himself from the firings, telling Sen. Joni Ernst, "Tell the general I'm sorry." Ernst, a 22-year National Guard veteran from George's state, had called Trump to defend George as one of the Army's best officers.
- The leadership vacuum leaves the Army essentially rudderless as it struggles to counter cheap, deadly drones and missiles pounding U.S. bases in the Middle East. Hegseth's choice for acting chief, Gen. Christopher LaNeve, lacks sufficient Republican Senate support for confirmation.
- Rep. Pat Ryan , a former Army intelligence officer, warned the purge is "doing generational damage to the sense that the military is an apolitical trusted organization." Critics fear the loss of experienced leaders will leave troops less safe in future conflicts.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Who’s in command? US Army’s top brass is thinning out as Hegseth fires generals amid Iran war
The US Army faces a leadership crisis with no permanent chief of staff. Several senior officers have been dismissed, impacting experienced leadership within the service. This turmoil occurs as the Army confronts significant global threats and modernization challenges. Army air-defense units are actively protecting troops from missile attacks in the Middle East. The ongoing vacancies raise concerns about the Army's readiness and strategic objecti…
Sydney Morning Herald
Pete Hegseth is hollowing out the US Army at the worst possible time
The US army has not had a chief of staff, the service’s top officer, since April and that’s just one of the many senior positions vacant at a time when the military is busier than ever.
NYT: Purge Of Top Generals Leaves Army “Rudderless”
The New York Times reports: A series of firings and feuds initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has left the Army essentially rudderless as it struggles to deal with the threat posed by cheap, deadly drones and missiles that have pounded U.S. bases in the Middle East. The Army has not had a chief of staff, the service’s top officer, since Mr. Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George without explanation in April, and there are no signs that he is cl…
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