Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after clash with Pete Hegseth

Driscoll is leaving after 18 months on the job.

No reason was given for Driscoll’s departure.

The departure comes after Hegseth ousted several other generals and admirals, including the head of the Navy.

The Army said Driscoll served as an armor officer from August 2007 to March 2011 and deployed to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010.

CBS News reported the previous week that Driscoll was considering stepping down by the end of the year.

Driscoll’s tenure included the U.S. operation that captured Nicolás Maduro, involving Army Delta Force.

Driscoll’s tenure included the ongoing war with Iran.

Driscoll’s time leading the Army coincided with a plan to cut U.S. forces in Germany.

Donahue and George supported a new Army drone battalion tasked with lessons from drone warfare in Ukraine.

George and Driscoll rolled out the Army Transformation Initiative, focused in part on unmanned systems.

Southern Command commander Adm. Alvin Holsey also retired.

Driscoll’s resignation follows months of tension with Hegseth and Pentagon chief of staff Ricky Buria.

Hegseth and Buria floated a theory that Driscoll leaked reports of low munitions stockpiles.

Driscoll’s last day at the Pentagon could come as early as Sept. 4.

Two other Army generals were also dismissed.

Driscoll oversaw operations for nearly one million soldiers and more than 265,000 civilians.

The Army secretary is second in line to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Driscoll championed innovation and acquisition reform, including the military’s right to repair its own equipment.

Driscoll oversaw FUZE, a $750 million program aiming to go from concept to prototype within 70 days.

The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 21 that Driscoll had moved his family out of the Army secretary’s residence.

NBC reported that Driscoll was considering resigning as soon as Labor Day.

Since January 2025 Hegseth has presided over the firing or early departure of Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Charles CQ Brown.

Those departures included Charles CQ Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti.

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus also departed.

Because of firings over the past year, the Army has fewer generals than at any point in recent history.

Pentagon leaders’ concerns included Hegseth’s personnel interventions and the mounting demands of the Iran war.

Hegseth has placed like-minded generals in influence, stymied promotions of lower-ranking officers, and gutted diversity initiatives.

The Army has more than 450,000 active-duty soldiers positioned across the globe.

Since arriving at the Pentagon early last year, Hegseth has sought to reshape the Army.

Driscoll’s departure had been expected for months.

Hegseth’s confirmation required a tie-breaking Senate vote from Vance after he won no Democratic support.

Like Hegseth, Driscoll joined the military during the post-9/11 wars.

Hegseth has publicly boasted about firing “woke” generals, dared dissenters to quit, and demonized the mainstream media.

Both Driscoll and Hegseth have made unsuccessful runs for political office.

Hegseth has pushed aside or promoted officers as he sees fit, in ways that irked others in the Pentagon.

Unlike Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Driscoll steered clear of endorsing Hegseth’s most controversial actions and culture-war priorities.

Driscoll cultivated ties with lawmakers of both parties and courted technology leaders to transform how the Army wages war.

The Atlantic reported that under Hegseth, minorities and women have been pushed out or barred from promotion.

Hegseth is expected to nominate LaNeve, but lawmakers are signaling he would struggle to be confirmed.

Army Undersecretary Michael Obadal is expected to take over in the near term.

Among the generals fired have been some of the most experienced and decorated in the service.

The Atlantic said Parnell, like Hegseth, has no experience managing a large organization and would face a contentious confirmation.

Driscoll addressed George’s departure at an April 16 House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.

As Army secretary, Driscoll worked with Silicon Valley companies to expand the Army’s drone capabilities.