Dan Driscoll, the youngest-ever US Army Secretary, has submitted his resignation to the White House after approximately 18 months in the role, following months of reported friction with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The White House confirmed the departure through Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, who praised Driscoll's record without addressing the circumstances of his exit, citing his "outstanding leadership during historic military operations" and his role in Russia-Ukraine negotiations. The resignation marks the latest in a series of high-profile military departures under the Trump administration's second term.
Driscoll, 41, an Iraq War veteran and technology investor who served as an Army officer from 2007 to 2011, was confirmed as Army Secretary in February 2025. He gained recognition as Trump's so-called "drone guy" for championing the rapid acquisition of cheaper unmanned systems and pushing the Army to become more agile in procurement. He was sharply critical of major defence contractors, declaring that they had "deceived the American people, the Pentagon and the Army." Beyond the Pentagon, he was assigned the unusual diplomatic role of participating in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and travelling to the region. He also briefly served as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The tensions with Hegseth reportedly deepened after the Defence Secretary fired Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in April — a move that caught Driscoll off guard, according to officials speaking on condition of anonymity. Driscoll, who was close friends with George, told lawmakers he had driven to the general's home to offer personal support after the dismissal. Officials also say Hegseth viewed Driscoll as a threat within the bureaucracy but had been reluctant to act given Driscoll's close ties to Vice President JD Vance, whom Driscoll met at Yale Law School. Under the acting Army Chief of Staff appointed by Hegseth, the drone modernisation programme Driscoll had championed was subsequently cancelled.
Driscoll's departure leaves the Army potentially without both permanent civilian and uniformed leadership at a sensitive moment, with US forces engaged in ongoing military operations in the Middle East and Hegseth yet to nominate a permanent successor to General George. Since taking charge of the Pentagon, Hegseth has dismissed more than a dozen senior military officers, including the chief of naval operations and the Air Force's vice-chief of staff. Navy Secretary John Phelan abruptly resigned in April. The wave of removals has been accompanied by the appointment of retired conservative-leaning veterans to civilian policy roles within the department.
Senator Jack Reed, the most senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, placed the blame squarely on the Defence Secretary: "It is far past time for President Trump to recognise the lasting harm that Pete Hegseth is inflicting on the Department of Defence." The scale and pace of leadership turnover at the Pentagon has raised concern among lawmakers and defence analysts about institutional continuity within the US military.