Chief of Staff of US Army Retires on the Spot as Defense Department Announces Departure
The Pentagon said Gen. Randy George retired immediately as US Army chief of staff, thanking him for his service amid reports he was asked to step down.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a sudden shift at the highest levels of the US military, the Pentagon announced that the Army’s top officer has stepped down with immediate effect, marking a significant leadership change within the Department of Defense.
On Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed that Gen. Randy A. George will retire from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the US Army “effective immediately.”
In a brief statement, the Department of Defense expressed appreciation for his service. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, “The department is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.”
Earlier, CBS News reported that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had asked Gen. George to step down and immediately retire. According to sources familiar with the decision, Hegseth is seeking a replacement who would implement President Donald Trump and his vision for the US Army.
Gen. George previously served as a senior military assistant to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during 2021–2022 under the Biden administration. He assumed his role as Army chief of staff on Sept. 21, 2023, a position that typically carries a four-year term.
The reported decision comes as more than a dozen senior officers have been dismissed by Hegseth, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife, and Defense Intelligence Agency head Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse.
The immediate retirement of Gen. George highlights a broader wave of leadership changes reshaping the US military command.