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Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down, White House says
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− Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down, White House says Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months on the job, the White House said Monday, in the latest departure of a top military leader during the Trump administration.
+ Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after clashes with Defense Secretary Hegseth Driscoll became the youngest-ever Army secretary last year at age 38 with plans to rapidly upgrade drones and other technologies.
− National Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down, White House says September 1, 202612:43 AM ET By
The Associated Press
FILE - U.S.
+ But Hegseth fired top generals, leading to friction between them.
− Army Secretary Dan Driscoll speaks at the America 250 celebration at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., June 10, 2025.
+ National Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after clashes with Defense Secretary Hegseth Updated September 1, 20268:47 AM ET Originally published September 1, 202612:43 AM ET Greg Myre
FILE - U.S.
− (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker, File) Karl B.
+ Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll walks on stage during a celebration open to the public in honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
− DeBlaker/AP hide caption
WASHINGTON — Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months on the job, the White House said Monday, in the latest departure of a top military leader during the Trump administration.
Middle East conflict Hegseth ousts the Army chief of staff as the Iran war rages through Week 5 No reason was given for the departure of Driscoll, who is a friend of Vice President JD Vance, but tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported.
+ Army on June 10, 2025 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
− It marks the latest in a series of shakeups of the military leadership, with the Army especially seeing major upheaval.
+ Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images hide caption
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned after just 18 months on the job that included repeated clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
− "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," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.
+ Driscoll was an Army officer in Iraq and became the youngest-ever Army secretary last year at age 38.
− "The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War," she added.
+ Middle East conflict Hegseth ousts the Army chief of staff as the Iran war rages through Week 5 He was heavily focused on new technologies and was sometimes called President Trump's "drone guy."
But Driscoll and Defense Secretary Hegseth were often at odds. Hegseth fired a number of top Army generals, and has been promoting officers seen as more aligned with the defense secretary.
− A U.S.
+ Back in April, Hegseth dismissed the chief of the Army, Gen.
− Army official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Driscoll spoke with President Donald Trump on the current state of the Army and submitted his resignation. The official did not provide additional details. The Pentagon referred questions to the Army. Driscoll's resignation was reported earlier Monday by The Wall Street Journal.
+ Randy George, without giving a reason.
− Driscoll's departure follows the ouster of one of his allies from the Army as well as the rollback of a drone program he had championed.
+ Driscoll was asked about this when he testified in April on Capitol Hill.
− Hegseth had suddenly ousted the service's top uniformed leader, Gen.
+ He said he was on vacation with his family in North Carolina when he heard the news, and they all drove to Gen.
− Randy George, in April, while the Army's commander in Europe and Africa, Gen. Christopher Donahue, unexpectedly stepped down in June.
+ George's home.
− Gen.
+ "We walked right in, and we all gave him a hug," Driscoll testified.
− Christopher LaNeve, who has made a meteoric rise under Hegseth, took George's place as the Army's acting chief of staff.
+ "There is no person that has more respect for General George and his 42 years of service.
− Under LaNeve, the service is pulling the plug on a drone modernization program.
+ He was an amazing, transformational leader."
When Hegseth took office last year, the Army had 10 four-star generals on active duty.
− An Army unit based in Europe was building its own drones before LaNeve directed it to end its efforts and return to being a traditional infantry battalion, officials said in August.
+ Today, it has five.
− Driscoll was a George ally and lamented his departure, along with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. He told Congress in April that he and his family drove to George's house following his resignation "and we all gave him a hug."
"That being said, the civilian leadership, the design of our system, is that they get to pick the leaders that they want," Driscoll added.
+ Hegseth also blocked promotions of Black and women army officers who had the support of Driscoll.
− Rep. Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican who had served in the Army National Guard, said on X that Driscoll is "a transformative leader who brought common sense and discipline to the Department of the Army."
"I had the pleasure of working with him closely, and appreciated how engaged he was from mentoring cadets at West Point to leading the Army at the Pentagon," Womack wrote. "The Army is better equipped and prepared to tackle emerging threats because of his leadership that strengthened the force while putting our Soldiers first."
Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger, told reporters that he worked well with Driscoll despite their policy differences.
+ These personnel differences were seen as the main reason, but not the only reason that they didn't see eye to eye.
− "It was actually nice, I will say, having somebody who was smart, that knew the policy, that wanted to do the work, that had a background in these issues," Crow said, adding that "it's unfortunate that somebody like that can't last in this administration."
Crow, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and co-chairs the House Army Caucus, said the "Pentagon right now is, in some cases, rudderless," with so many senior leaders gone.
+ Before Driscoll became Army secretary, he worked in venture capital and explored ways new technology could upgrade the Army's drone program.
However, the Pentagon recently announced the dismantling of an Army drone unit in Europe that had been studying Ukraine's drone successes against Russia.
In the broad sense, Driscoll's resignation is seen as significant because its part of a constant churn at the Pentagon under Hegseth, which has continued as the Iran war is still playing out with no end in sight.
National Pentagon says Navy secretary is leaving, the latest departure of a top defense leader As Army secretary, Driscoll held the Army's top civilian position, a critical job with a focus on issues such as overseeing personnel, dealing with the army's budget and longer-term planning.
However, the position is not part of the military chain of command.
− "So, I'm gravely concerned about it," he said.
+ Driscoll was not commanding Army troops in the Middle East, though the Army has significant forces throughout the region.
− Rhode Island Sen.
+ The White House said in a statement that Driscoll was "highly effective in advancing President Trump's agenda to Make America Strong Again," and noted that he took part peace negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Driscoll is very close with Vice President J.D.
− Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that Driscoll "worked to transform the Army for the battlefield of the future, and he engaged with Congress candidly and consistently."
"Secretary Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished and competence is secondary to personal allegiance," said Reed, a former Army officer, while noting that "hundreds of thousands of soldiers are deployed around the world, many in combat zones."
Driscoll is an Iraq war veteran, tech investor and former adviser to Vance, whom Driscoll met at Yale Law School.
+ Vance.
− When nominating Driscoll in 2024, Trump called him "a disruptor and change agent."
As Army secretary, Driscoll was tapped for the unusual role of key negotiator to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
+ They are both military veterans who served in Iraq and met at Yale Law School, becoming good friends.
− He was also a major force behind trying to cut the red tape for military contractors to quickly develop more drones and counter-drone capabilities as warfare rapidly changes around the world.
+ Vance pushed for Driscoll to get the position as Army secretary.
− The Senate confirmed him in February 2025, voting 66-28, following an Armed Services Committee hearing that was largely unconfrontational and focused on how the Army could modernize its systems, improve recruiting and beef up the military industrial base.
Driscoll noted that his father and grandfather served in the Army, and he vowed to be a secretary focused on the needs of soldiers.
+ Even before Driscoll resigned, there's been widespread media speculation that he would leave the job at some point to join a Vance campaign.
− According to the Army, Driscoll served as an armor officer from August 2007 to March 2011, deploying to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010.
+ Driscoll served as a political adviser to Vance during the 2024 campaign.
− National Pentagon says Navy secretary is leaving, the latest departure of a top defense leader He also ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates.
His departure comes after Hegseth ousted several other generals and admirals, including the head of the Navy.
The Pentagon abruptly announced in April that Navy Secretary John Phelan was leaving the job, becoming the first head of a military service to depart during Trump's second term.