Army Secretary Driscoll resigns after 18 months of Hegseth friction

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Trump after 18 months, leaving the service without Senate-confirmed civilian or military leadership.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Trump after 18 months, capping months of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the service's direction and the ouster of senior officers.

"Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump's agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.

Driscoll, 41, the youngest-ever Army secretary and a former Iraq War armor officer, was confirmed by the Senate in February 2025 on a 66-28 vote. His departure leaves the Army without Senate-confirmed civilian or military leaders, with Gen. Christopher LaNeve serving as acting chief after Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George in April. Deputy Undersecretary Dave Fitzgerald is also expected to step down this week.

The leadership vacuum lands as the Army faces its busiest period since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with thousands of soldiers deployed in the Middle East conflict with Iran and the service's European command providing intelligence and support to Ukraine.

The resignation follows a pattern of senior military departures under Hegseth. Gen. Chris Donahue, the top Army officer in Europe, relinquished command July 2 after an 18-month tenure, part of Hegseth's push to cut the number of generals and admirals by 10 percent and four-star positions by 20 percent. Lawmakers have pushed back on Hegseth's preference that LaNeve become the next Army chief of staff, raising doubts about whether he could win confirmation.

Driscoll, a former law school classmate of Vice President JD Vance, forged a close relationship with George, the fired Army chief of staff. The two pushed soldiers to adopt new technology and become more adaptable on the battlefield, with Driscoll earning the nickname "drone guy" for his advocacy of faster acquisition of drones and counter-drone systems. He also took on the unusual role of helping negotiate efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Under Driscoll, the Army pushed private companies to invest billions of dollars in data centers, critical-mineral refineries and campus-style dining facilities on military bases, most recently announcing a partnership with FedEx Dataworks to modernize domestic logistics networks. The departure of Driscoll and Fitzgerald raises questions about the continuity of those infrastructure programs, which could affect defense contractors and companies involved in base modernization.

Leadership Vacuum Deepens as Wars Intensify

The Army's air defense soldiers are playing the leading role in defending U.S. troops in the Middle East from increasingly sophisticated Iranian missile attacks, according to the New York Times. The service's European command provides critical intelligence and other support to Ukraine as Russian aggression escalates.

Names floated to succeed Driscoll include Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. Mike Obadal, the Army undersecretary, would be the highest-ranking civilian after Driscoll departs, though his role, like LaNeve's, remains temporary.

The friction was long anticipated — the Wall Street Journal reported in recent weeks that Driscoll had been expected to step down this year after clashing with Hegseth. The last time the Army lost its top civilian and uniformed leaders in quick succession, the confirmation process for replacements stretched for months, leaving the service to operate under acting leadership during a period of transition. With the Army engaged in the Middle East and supporting Ukraine, the vacancy raises the stakes for whoever Trump nominates next.

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