Secretary’s departure exposes tensions in US military command

CNN sources reported that the departure came after months of tension between Driscoll and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and that the outgoing manager “raised concerns with the administration about the transformation and readiness of the Army, as well as the fact that Hegseth was blocking these efforts — specifically by firing the generals responsible for them.”

Hegseth recently removed Generals Christopher Donahue and Randy George, as well as Army Deputy Director James Mingus, and replaced the latter two’s posts with a single high-ranking military officer, General Christopher LaNeve.

Driscoll is close to American Vice President JD Vance, and the announcement of his departure comes as the war with Iran completes six months.

“Secretary Driscoll was extremely effective in advancing the President’s agenda [Donald] Trump to ‘Make America Strong Again’ at the Department of the Army by exercising exceptional leadership during historic military operations, restoring the emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, among other actions,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.

It is not yet known the exact day on which Driscoll will step down, nor who his replacement will be. He has been the Secretary of the Army since February 2025.