WASHINGTON, United States, April 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Secretary of Defense 
Pete Hegseth has asked General Randy George to step down as chief of staff of 
the US Army, an official said Thursday.

George is the latest senior military officer to be ousted during President 
Donald Trump's second term. His removal as the top Army officer comes with 
the United States engaged in a war with Iran that the president has indicated 
could last for several more weeks.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed a report from US 
broadcaster CBS that said George had been asked to take immediate retirement.

The reason for the request was not immediately known, but CBS quoted a source 
as saying Hegseth wanted someone who would implement his and Trump's vision 
for the Army.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell later posted a statement on X that said 
George "will be retiring from his position... effective immediately," without 
specifying a reason.

During a nearly four-decade military career, George deployed to Iraq and 
Afghanistan multiple times and also served in positions including vice chief 
of staff of the Army and senior military assistant to Pentagon chief Lloyd 
Austin during Joe Biden's term as president.

The army's vice chief of staff General Christopher LaNeve will take over as 
acting chief of staff, CBS reported.

Hegseth previously said LaNeve is "a battle-tested leader with decades of 
operational experience."

- Military purge -

General David Hodne and Major General William Green Jr. were also removed 
alongside George, according to The Washington Post and CBS.

Hodne led the Army's Transformation and Training Command while Green was in 
charge of the Army's Chaplain Corps. AFP has contacted the Pentagon for 
comment.

Trump has overseen a purge of top military officers, including the chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Charles "CQ" Brown, whom he fired 
without explanation in February 2025.

Other senior officers dismissed include the heads of the Navy and Coast 
Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of 
staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top 
military lawyers.

The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without 
explanation just two years into a four-year term, while the head of US 
Southern Command retired a year into his tenure.

Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, 
but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential 
politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.

Last year, the Pentagon chief additionally ordered at least a 20 percent cut 
in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US 
military, as well as a 10 percent cut in the overall number of general and 
flag officers.