Hegseth ousts Gen. George as Army chief of staff

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Gen. Randy George, the chief of staff of the Army, to step down and retire, according to a defense official who confirmed a Thursday CBS News report on the four-star's ouster as accurate and the Pentagon's chief spokesperson.

George's removal as the Army's top officer comes amid the war with Iran, which has surpassed its first month, and follows a string of senior military official firings by Hegseth since the beginning of the second Trump administration. The service's chief of staff typically serves a four-year term, cutting George's tenure short by more than a year.

"General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately," Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement Thursday.

"The Department of War is grateful for General George's decades of service to our nation," he added, using the Trump administration's preferred name for the Defense Department. "We wish him well in his retirement."

A Pentagon official told DefenseScoop "we can confirm the CBS report is true. Nothing further to provide at the moment." A spokesperson for George did not immediately respond to DefenseScoop's request for comment.

On Thursday night, the Joint Staff posted the following statement on its official X account: "On behalf of the Joint Force and the Joint Chiefs, we extend our deepest gratitude to Chief of Staff of the Army, General Randy George, for his decades of steadfast service to our nation. Since 1988, General George and his family have consistently answered the nation's call with honor and dedication. We are profoundly thankful to General George and his wife, Patty, for their many years of sacrifice and devotion to those who serve. As they graduate from this distinguished chapter of service and look toward the future, we wish them both continued happiness and success in all that lies ahead."

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who served as the senior military assistant to Hegseth and commanded the 82nd Airborne Division, is the vice chief of staff for the Army and could take George's place. CBS News reported that LaNeve will be acting chief of staff.

CBS also reported that George's firing was not related to Hegseth overruling the Army's decision to investigate and suspend aviators involved in Apache helicopters flying by Kid Rock's home in Tennessee last weekend, citing an anonymous source.

The Senate confirmed George as Army chief in 2023 under President Joe Biden, who nominated the four-star for the role. His nomination came amid GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville's wide-spread hold on nearly 200 Pentagon picks at the time.

George was commissioned in 1988 as an infantry officer, according to his official biography. He deployed multiple times overseas and served in numerous leadership positions over his more than 40-year military career.