Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the highest-ranking US Army officer to resign amid the Iran war.
Hegseth asked General Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement, sources told CBS News.
A Pentagon official said: ‘We are grateful for his service, but it was time for a leadership change in the Army.’
George, a Biden appointee, is understood to have clashed with the administration’s vision for the Army.
Vice Chief of Staff General Christopher LaNeve, a former aide to Hegseth, is likely to be considered as his replacement.
Hegseth’s decision comes as 50,000 US troops are deployed in the Middle East ahead of a possible ground invasion in Iran.
As a four-star General and the 41st Chief of Staff, George is the senior-most uniformed officer in the Army, responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of more than one million soldiers.
George reports to General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, the civilian head of the branch; and Hegseth.
General Randy George attends the Heroes ceremony for Medal of Honor recipient retired Army Captain Larry L. Taylor at Conmy Hall, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Arlington, Virginia, United States on September 6, 2023
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provides updates on the continued military operations on Iran 2during a press briefing on the Iran war at the Pentagon on March 19
The Army Chief of Staff typically serves a four-year term, meaning that George is significantly short of serving his full tenure after he was confirmed by the Senate in 2023.
George served as the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021 to 2022 after decades of service, including in the first Gulf War, and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hegseth has purged more than a dozen senior officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse.
Born and raised in Iowa, George enlisted in the Army in 1982 and graduated from West Point in 1988.
He served in the first Gulf War and later held command and staff roles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A highly decorated officer, George has earned the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, four Defense Superior Service Medals, four Legions of Merit, four Bronze Stars, and a Purple Heart.
