Hegseth dismisses top US Army officer amid race and gender dispute, NYT reports

(SeaPRwire) –   The report claims Gen. Randy George was dismissed following a clash with the U.S. Secretary of War over promotions for Black and female Army officers

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George—the service’s top uniformed officer—amid an ongoing dispute over race and gender-related promotions, the New York Times reported Thursday. Hegseth is also said to have dismissed two other generals in a purge feared to be undermining the U.S. campaign against Iran.

Insiders familiar with the situation told the publication that Hegseth ordered George, a 61-year-old veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, to retire immediately. They described the move as rooted not in policy disagreements but in the secretary’s “long-running grievance with the Army and its leadership” and a strained relationship with Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll.

Hegseth did not provide a reason for the dismissal but had previously vowed to rid the department of “woke” culture and oppose promotions based on race and gender quotas.

Reportedly at the core of the fallout was Hegseth’s months-long push to remove four officers—two Black men and two women—from a one-star promotion list that included roughly 29 other officers, most of whom are white men.

According to the NYT, George and Driscoll pushed back, citing the officers’ “long records of exemplary service.” About two weeks before his firing, George is said to have sought a meeting with Hegseth to discuss the removals and what he saw as unnecessary interference in Army personnel decisions—a request Hegseth declined.

George also served as senior military assistant to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration.

NYT sources noted that George and Driscoll had formed a “tight partnership,” with Hegseth reportedly at odds with Driscoll.

“Hegseth can’t fire Driscoll,” an unnamed administration official told the Washington Post. “So he’s going to make his life hell.”

Hegseth also fired Gen. David Hodne, who headed the U.S. Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the chief of chaplains, per the WaPo. No official reason was given for any of the dismissals.

George’s term was not set to end until 2027. As Army chief, he had spearheaded initiatives to deploy new drone technologies and AI-powered targeting systems while opposing a new light tank program, arguing it was too vulnerable to cheap UAVs, the NYT reported. Gen. Christopher LaNeve—once Hegseth’s top military aide—is expected to serve as acting Army chief of staff.