Pentagon fires Army Chief of Staff Gen. George, two other generals

The Pentagon announced Thursday that Gen. Randy A. George will retire from his role as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army "effective immediately." In a brief statement, the Department of Defense expressed appreciation for George's decades of military service. The department "is grateful for General George's decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement," said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.

Hegseth's role

Earlier, CBS News reported that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had asked Gen. George to step down and immediately retire. Citing sources familiar with the decision, the report said Hegseth wants someone in the role who would implement President Donald Trump and his vision for the US Army. The army chief of staff usually holds the position for a four-year term; George assumed his duties on Sept. 21, 2023.

Additional dismissals

Three US officials said Hegseth dismissed two additional army generals Thursday: Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army's chief of chaplains, and David Hodne, who led the Army's Transformation and Training Command. Green, an ordained minister, oversaw the Army Chaplain Corps and advised senior Army leadership on religious, moral and morale issues. Hodne, a combat-experienced infantry officer who previously served as commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division, was involved in shaping training, readiness and modernization efforts.

Pattern of dismissals

Hegseth has dismissed a number of officials during Trump's second term. Last year, he removed Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who led the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, after an assessment suggested US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were more limited than Trump had claimed. Earlier, he fired Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the US military representative to NATO's military committee. Other dismissals include Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown Jr., Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh (commander of US Cyber Command and NSA director), and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan.

Conflict context

The dismissals come as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its 35th day, with US forces conducting strikes on Iranian targets and Iran retaliating against Gulf states. Trump signaled Thursday that further strikes on critical infrastructure could be imminent, writing "Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!"