Dan Driscoll, the civilian leader of the US Army, resigned on Monday, according to a US Army official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said Driscoll spoke with President Donald Trump about the current state of the army and submitted his resignation, but provided no further details. The Pentagon referred questions to the army.
The White House offered a glowing assessment of Driscoll's tenure. “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,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly in a statement. “The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War.”
Driscoll's resignation comes amid a broader shake-up of army leadership. In April, Defense Secretary Hegseth ousted the army's top uniformed leader, General Randy George, who was replaced by General Christopher LaNeve – a figure who has risen rapidly under Hegseth. General Christopher Donahue, the army's commander in Europe and Africa, stepped down unexpectedly in June. Under LaNeve, the army is ending a drone modernisation program that Driscoll had championed, and an army unit in Europe has been ordered to halt its own drone development and revert to a traditional infantry battalion.
Driscoll, an Iraq war veteran and former tech investor, was an ally of General George. He told Congress in April that after George’s resignation, “we all gave him a hug,” but added that “the civilian leadership, the design of our system, is that they get to pick the leaders that they want.” His resignation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.