Defense & National Security Newsletter

Hegseth forces out Army chief of staff

by Filip Timotija - 04/02/26 8:24 PM ET

Link copied

by Filip Timotija - 04/02/26 8:24 PM ET

Link copied

- Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter

{beacon}

Defense &

National Security

Defense &

National Security

The Big Story

Hegseth forces out Army chief of staff

Hegseth removes Army’s chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, who will retire immediately, as the U.S. military is engaged in a month-long war with Iran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forced out the Army’s chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, who will retire immediately, a Pentagon official confirmed to The Hill on Thursday.

“The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell, said in a statement about George, who served as the Army’s 41st chief of staff.

The Army didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who is currently the Army’s vice chief of staff, will be the service’s acting chief of staff, according to a Pentagon official.

“General LaNeve — a generational leader — will help ensure the Army revives the warrior ethos, rebuilds for the modern battlefield and deters our enemies around the world,” Hegseth said of LaNeve in January.

George began his tenure as chief of staff, normally a four-year post, in September 2023 after being nominated by former President Biden and confirmed by the Senate. George is a career infantry officer who graduated from West Point.

George’s ouster marks another removal of senior military officers by Hegseth since he took the helm at the Pentagon. The defense secretary has fired over a dozen senior military officers, including Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife.

The removal of George marks another instance of tension between Hegseth and the Army’s top echelon. The Pentagon chief ordered Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to remove one of his top advisers, Col. David Butler, in February.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Filip Timotija — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Essential Reads

How policy will affect defense and national security now and in

the future:

Iranian Foreign Ministry official: US using new ballistic missiles

A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday the U.S. has a new precision strike missile and used one to kill a group of children on the first day of strikes carried out by the U.S. and Israel. “The American new #PrSM [precision strike missile], which made its combat debut on 28 February 2026, struck a crowded sports hall filled with innocent teenagers in the city of #Lamerd, Fars Province,” Foreign …

Full Story

Hegseth lifts ban on service members carrying personal firearms on base

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that he was lifting a ban on service members’ ability to carry personal firearms on U.S. military bases. “Our warfighters defend the rights to carry. They should be able to carry themselves,” Hegseth said in a video posted on social platform X. Hegseth said his memo directs installation commanders to permit requests from service members to carry personal firearms on base “for …

Full Story

5 notable moments from Pam Bondi’s tenure as attorney general

The Pam Bondi era at the Department of Justice (DOJ) is coming to an end, less than 14 months after it began. President Trump announced Bondi’s departure from the DOJ on Thursday, after she spent her tenure frequently defending the president and overseeing the rollout of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney …

Full Story

On Our Radar

Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:

- The Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold a conversation tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET on “Adapting Under Fire: Ukraine’s Race to Reinvent Modern Defense.”

- The Institute for Policy Studies will hold a discussion at 12 p.m. ET on “Trump’s Mineral Grab: Update on U.S. Policies on Rare Earth Elements and Other Critical Minerals.”

In Other News

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

DHS rescinds contract approval policy implemented by Noem

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has walked back a controversial policy to review major expenditures, implemented by former Secretary Kristi Noe