Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to retire immediately, according to sources privy to the decision who spoke with CBS News.
One source indicated that Hegseth desires a leader in the role who will align with President Trump and Hegseth’s vision for the Army.
A senior Defense Department official informed CBS News, “We appreciate his service, but it was time for a change in Army leadership.”
George previously held the position of senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021-2022, during the Biden administration, following decades of service. A distinguished infantry officer and West Point alumnus, George first saw action in the first Gulf War and later conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Army chief of staff typically serves a four-year term. George was nominated by President Joe Biden for the position and confirmed by the Senate in 2023, meaning his tenure was expected to last until 2027.
The current vice chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who previously served as Hegseth’s military aide, is considered a likely replacement candidate. He commanded the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division from 2022 to 2023.
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point shared photos on social media on Thursday of George, noting he “imparted experience-driven guidance to cadets preparing for leadership” during a recent visit.
As per his biography on the Army’s website, George was commissioned as an infantry officer from West Point in 1988 and served in Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Before becoming Army chief of staff, he was vice chief of staff of the Army from 2022 to 2023.
Hegseth has dismissed more than a dozen senior military officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse.
This dismissal follows Hegseth’s X post reversing the suspension of the aircrew involved in flying near Kid Rock’s Nashville residence last weekend. After the Army announced the suspension of the aviators and initiated an administrative review, Hegseth countermanded the Army’s decision, stating on his personal X account, “No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”
Hegseth’s directive for George’s departure was unrelated to the helicopter incident, one of the sources clarified.