U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and retire immediately, CBS News reported, citing sources familiar with the decision, in a move that comes as the war with Iran is still ongoing.
According to CBS, the decision appears aimed at installing leadership aligned with President Donald Trump’s vision for the Army during the conflict. One source said Hegseth is seeking a chief who will more closely implement that approach.
George, a career infantry officer and West Point graduate, was nominated by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023. His four-year term was expected to run through 2027.
He previously served as vice chief of staff of the Army and as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Over decades of service, he deployed in the Gulf War as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
CBS reported that Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the current vice chief of staff and a former aide to Hegseth, is likely to be considered as a replacement. He previously led the 82nd Airborne Division.
The move is the latest in a series of senior military shakeups under Hegseth, who has dismissed more than a dozen top officials, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
A post from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point earlier Thursday showed George meeting with cadets and sharing leadership guidance, underscoring the abrupt nature of the request.
According to CBS, one source said the decision was not related to a recent incident involving an Army helicopter crew that flew near a Nashville home owned by musician Kid Rock — a case in which Hegseth publicly overruled disciplinary action.