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Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George has been asked to retire, according to news reports that were confirmed by a Pentagon official.
As the chief of staff, George is the highest-ranking uniformed official for the service. His removal at the behest of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was first reported by CBS News.
“We can confirm the CBS report is true,” a Defense Department official said in a statement. “Nothing further to provide at the moment.”
A spokesperson for George could not be immediately reached.
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George was appointed to the role by President Joe Biden and almost unanimously confirmed by the Senate in September 2023. The role is typically held for four years, meaning George would’ve retired in 2027.
He received a commission from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1988. Over the course of his career, George deployed and commanded units during operations in the Middle East, including Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. He also served as a senior military assistant to the secretary of defense and executive assistant to the commander of U.S. Central Command.
As chief of staff, George took on the role of modernizing the Army with new units outfitted with emerging technology through his brainchild, the Transformation in Contact initiative.
Since Hegseth became defense secretary in January 2025, a number of senior leaders from across the services have been fired or otherwise forced out, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Charles” CQ” Brown Jr., former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, then serving as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, who was serving as U.S. representative to the NATO Military Committee.
The post Hegseth asks top Army officer to step down appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Classification
Region
North America
Analytical Domain
Operational
Primary Category / Secondary Categories
Command & Control / Political-Military
SALUTE Report
Size
1
Activity
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George has been asked to retire
Location
Pentagon
Unit
U.S. Army
Time
January 2025
Equipment
-
Summary
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has requested the retirement of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, as confirmed by a Pentagon official. George, who was appointed by President Biden in September 2023, has played a significant role in modernizing the Army. His removal is part of a broader trend of leadership changes initiated by Hegseth since January 2025.
Key Facts
- Gen. Randy George has been asked to retire by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- George was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in September 2023.
- Hegseth has previously removed several senior military leaders since taking office.