Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Mulls Resignation by Year-End, Sources Say
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Two sources told CBS News that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is considering leaving his post before the end of the year, amid reported tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is reportedly weighing a resignation that could take effect before the close of 2026, according to two people familiar with the matter. The information was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and later confirmed by CBS News, which sought comment from the Pentagon and the Army.
The speculation follows months of reported friction between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who in April removed Gen. Randy George, a longtime associate of Driscoll, from the Army chief of staff position and asked him to retire early. At the time, George sent an email to Driscoll and other staff emphasizing the need for "courageous leaders of character" for U.S. service members.
The possible departure also coincides with reports that the Army plans to discontinue the Unmanned Assault Battalion, a drone unit created last year to study lessons from drone warfare, including the conflict in Ukraine. The unit was established by George and former Army Europe and Africa commander Gen. Christopher Donahue. Multiple current and former officials said the decision reflects tension between senior officers who supported the battalion and Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who has been acting Army chief of staff since George's exit.
Driscoll, 39, has served as Army secretary since his Senate confirmation in February 2025. He previously served four years as an Army officer, deployed to Iraq in 2009, and later earned a law degree from Yale before working in private equity and venture capital. In a November interview on "Face the Nation," he said, > "I don't think I've talked to a single person who has said we shouldn't be learning from what's occurring in Ukraine."