War Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army chief of staff to step down and retire immediately, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The action is part of broader personnel changes at the top of the Army amid U.S. operations in Iran.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the retirement of Gen. Randy George in a statement posted on X.
"General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately," the statement said.
"The Department of War is grateful for General George's decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement."
Two defense officials told multiple outlets that Hegseth also removed Gen. David Hodne, who leads the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the chief of Army chaplains.
George, who took the top Army post in 2023, had more than a year left in his term. He previously served as senior military assistant to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Gen. Christopher LaNeve will be stepping in as acting Army chief of staff.
The changes follow a series of senior personnel actions under Hegseth since he took office in January 2025.
A senior War Department official told CBS News it "was time for a leadership change in the Army."
No official reason was provided beyond the retirement framing in the Pentagon statement. Hegseth has not commented publicly on the moves.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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