Army Secretary resigns after clashing with Hegseth in latest high-profile Pentagon departure

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll has announced his resignation after 18 months in his position. Driscoll is the latest of dozens of high-profile Pentagon officials to abruptly leave their positions before their tenure was up in the past year, including firings and forced resignations as well as voluntary resignations. Of the branches of the military, the Army has seen the most such departures.

Nearly all of these departures, including Driscoll’s, have resulted from friction with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Sources of tension vary but include disagreements over orders and operational matters as well as the cultural ideology that Hegseth has sought to impose and enforce both among military brass and ordinary servicemembers.

A source tells CNN that before handing in his resignation, Driscoll sought to share his concerns with the White House. Specifically, Driscoll expressed his view that Hegseth’s firings of key officers have had a detrimental effect both on military readiness and on efforts to modernize the Army, the source says.

Driscoll is an Army veteran and close friend of Vice President J.D. Vance who was appointed by Trump as Secretary of the Army. His departure comes as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran enters its 6th month.