Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth Faces Criticism Amid Senior Officer Resignations
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Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth's tenure has seen the retirement of Gen. Christopher Donahue and the resignation of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, prompting concerns among senior leaders about leadership and policy changes.
Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth, who recently published a book on military issues, presided over the retirement ceremony of Gen. Christopher Donahue at Fort Bragg on Thursday. Donahue, a former Delta Force operator and commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, retired after a career that included leading the unit during operations against ISIS and overseeing Army activities in Europe and Africa.
During the ceremony, senior officers gathered to honor Donahue, described by some as a "once-in-a-generation" general. After the event, reports emerged that Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who had been overseeing the Army's transformation initiatives, received a phone call from Hegseth informing him of his dismissal. The news was quickly relayed to Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, who later testified before a House appropriations subcommittee that he had traveled to George's home to offer support.
Driscoll, a veteran of the Iraq war, announced his resignation to the White House later that day, joining more than 20 senior military leaders who have left their posts during Hegseth's 20-month tenure. In his testimony, Driscoll emphasized the importance of lessons learned from recent joint exercises with Ukrainian forces, noting significant advancements in drone warfare.
Hegseth has also introduced new physical-fitness guidelines for soldiers, requiring a waist-to-height ratio assessment twice annually. The Department of Defense posted a video of Hegseth performing a bench-press at Guantánamo Bay, highlighting his personal fitness regimen.
The series of leadership changes and policy updates have sparked discussion among military officials about the direction of the Army under Hegseth's leadership.