Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Driscoll is the civilian leader of the U.S. Army and is expected to leave the Pentagon in the coming days. His departure follows disagreements with Hegseth over the direction of the service and the removal of several senior Army officers. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed Driscoll’s resignation to CBS News on Monday.
“Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more,” Kelly told CBS News. “The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” according to the report.
Army Leadership Faces Another Shake-Up
Driscoll’s departure would leave the Army without a Senate-confirmed civilian or military leader. Gen. Christopher LaNeVe is serving as acting chief of staff after Hegseth fired his predecessor, Gen. Randy George. Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal would become the highest-ranking civilian in the service after Driscoll leaves.
The resignation also marks a reversal from Driscoll’s position earlier this year. In April, he said he had no plans to depart or resign as Army secretary while tensions with Hegseth were already becoming public.
Hegseth had fired George in April, a move that was significant for Driscoll because the two had developed a close relationship and worked together on Army modernization, including the adoption of new battlefield technology.
Driscoll also spoke with President Trump about the current state of the Army before submitting his resignation, according to a U.S. official cited by CBS News.
Hegseth’s Broader Pentagon Overhaul
Driscoll’s exit comes as Hegseth continues a broader restructuring of senior military leadership. Hegseth has pushed to reduce the number of generals and admirals by 10% overall and cut four-star positions by 20%.
The leadership changes have extended beyond the Army. Navy Secretary John Phelan departed in April after Hegseth fired George earlier that month. The moves have contributed to a broader shake-up across the Pentagon.
Hegseth was also considering Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell as a possible successor to Driscoll. Parnell was described as being on Hegseth’s short list as Driscoll’s expected departure approached.
Driscoll Pushed Military Modernization
Driscoll, a former Army officer and former law school classmate of Vice President JD Vance, worked closely with George on military modernization and technology adoption.
During his tenure, private companies pledged more than $25 billion toward data centers, critical-mineral refineries and dining facilities on Army bases. Driscoll and Army Deputy Undersecretary Dave Fitzgerald also worked on bringing private investment into military infrastructure.
Fitzgerald, who served in uniform with Driscoll, is also expected to leave his position later this week.
Driscoll had raised concerns with the Trump administration about the Army’s transformation efforts and Hegseth’s removal of some generals involved in those efforts, according to the report.
What Comes Next For The Army
LaNeVe’s potential path to the permanent post could also face resistance, with some Republicans raising concerns about Hegseth’s preference for him as the next Army chief.
Disclaimer: This content was produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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