Washington, 03 April (H.S.):

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has directed Army Chief of Staff General Randy George to relinquish his position and proceed to immediate retirement amid the escalating war with Iran.

Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell stated, General George will retire from his role as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army, effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George's decades of service to our nation. We wish him the very best in his retirement.

According to CBS News reports, two other Army officers—General David Hodne, who led the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, and Major General William Green, chief of the Army Chaplain Corps—have also been relieved of their duties.

A professional infantryman and West Point graduate, George previously served as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from 2021 to 2022 under the Biden administration, with combat experience in the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Hegseth's purge extends to several high-ranking officials, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse.

The Army Chief of Staff position typically carries a four-year term; George, nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023, would normally serve until 2027. Army Vice Chief of Staff General Christopher Lanoue, who commanded the 82nd Airborne Division from 2022 to 2023, will now act as interim Chief of Staff.

Parnell described Lanoue as an experienced, battle-tested leader with decades of operational expertise, adding that Secretary Hegseth has full confidence in his ability to execute the administration's vision without falter.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar