NEW: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and retire immediately, according to two defense officials.
— ABC News (@ABC) April 2, 2026
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered Army Chief of Staff General Randy George to retire immediately as part of a broader Trump administration effort to purge and reshape the Pentagon’s top military brass.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has requested the immediate retirement of U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, a move that significantly accelerates the Trump administration’s sweeping overhaul of the Pentagon leadership. George, a veteran infantry officer who was confirmed to the four-year post in 2023 after serving as a senior adviser to former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, becomes the latest high-ranking casualty in a campaign that has already seen the removal of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other top naval and air force commanders.
While officials have not specified the exact reasoning behind the demand, the decision underscores Hegseth’s rapid effort to “reshape the department” and “implement Trump’s national security agenda” by replacing established military leaders. George’s departure contributes to what observers describe as a period of “recent upheaval at all levels of leadership at the Pentagon,” leaving the Army’s top position vacant well before the conclusion of its traditional term.
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