Army secretary calls fired general 'transformational' after Hegseth ousted him

Key Points:

• Army Secretary Dan Driscoll expressed admiration for former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, calling him a "transformational leader," but acknowledged that civilian leadership, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has the authority to select military leaders.
• Gen. George was abruptly fired by Hegseth on April 2 with no public explanation, a move that has raised concerns given ongoing U.S. military operations and the rarity of such firings without scandal.
• Under Hegseth's leadership, nearly two dozen top officers, many women or minorities, have been fired or sidelined without clear reasons, fueling unease among senior military and defense officials.
• Four colonels, including two Black officers and two women, were removed from promotion consideration by Hegseth, although some non-white officers and women remained on the final list; this action has drawn criticism and questions about transparency.
• Pentagon officials dismissed media reports on the sidelined officers as distractions, asserting that promotions remain apolitical and unbiased, despite confusion and lack of clarity from military leadership about the removals.