Overview
- Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned on Monday and confirmed Wednesday would be his last full day, leaving the Army without a Senate‑confirmed civilian leader as U.S. forces remain engaged in the Iran war.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed or forced out dozens of senior officers and blocked promotions, a pattern officials and reports say has concentrated power at the Pentagon and sidelined leaders who pushed for modernization.
- Some Republicans have joined Democrats in publicly criticizing Hegseth, with Sen. Thom Tillis urging President Trump to replace him and multiple GOP senators requesting information about the pace and rationale of recent leadership changes.
- Observers and former officers warn the churn is already affecting readiness: signature programs tied to Driscoll and fired generals, including experimental drone units and procurement initiatives, are being rolled back while deployments and maintenance strain the services.
- The White House stands by Hegseth and allies are discussing loyalist successors such as Sean Parnell, but any nomination would face a contentious Senate fight and could deepen political scrutiny of Pentagon personnel policy.