After pete hegseth asked him to step down and retire immediately, outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George told Pentagon officials that soldiers deserve “courageous leaders of character.” The note, sent as he was leaving the job, gave a glimpse of how George wanted to frame his exit: less about the personnel shake-up and more about the Army’s mission and the people serving in it.
George’s departure had already been reported earlier this week, with one source saying Hegseth wants a successor who will carry out his and President Trump’s vision for the Army. CBS News later confirmed an email attributed to George as authentic. A U.S. official said the message went to Army Undersecretary and Assistant Secretary Driscoll, along with the three- and four-star generals and officers on George’s staff.
In the email, George thanked his colleagues for what he called “the greatest privilege” of serving beside them and leading soldiers in support of the country. He urged them to stay focused on the mission, keep innovating, and cut through bureaucracy so troops get what they need to win on the modern battlefield. “Our soldiers are truly the best in the world,” he wrote. “They deserve tough training and courageous leaders of character.”
George had previously served as the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021 to 2022, during the Biden administration. He became Army chief of staff in 2023, a role that typically lasts four years. Instead, his tenure ended early this week.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said George would retire effective immediately and thanked him for decades of service. The statement also said the Department of War wished him well. For now, the Army’s acting chief of staff is Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who previously served as Hegseth’s military aide.
George’s ouster comes as Hegseth has moved through a long list of senior Pentagon changes, including the removal of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife and Defense Intelligence Agency chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse.
