- Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is looking to leave his role at the Pentagon around the end of 2026 following a months-long turf war with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former White House official and another source familiar with the discussions told The Hill on Friday.
- Driscoll was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 25 last year in a 66-28 vote.
- Tension flared late last year when Trump picked Driscoll to negotiate with Ukrainian officials in hopes of ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
- Driscoll and George rolled out the Army Transformation Initiative last year, which was intended to focus on three areas: deliver critical warfighting capabilities, optimize our force structure and eliminate waste and obsolete programs.
- Driscoll has long communicated that 23-24 months is the lifetime of an Army secretary in the Trump administration.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to leave his position by the end of 2026, following ongoing tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Sources indicate that Driscoll, confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 25 last year, has communicated that the typical tenure for an Army secretary in the Trump administration is between 23 and 24 months.123
Driscoll has been proactive in advocating for better living conditions for service members and has pushed for the modernization of equipment. He has also emphasized the importance of learning from Ukrainian forces on how to effectively utilize commercial technology in modern warfare. One source noted that Driscoll has been “aggressive” in securing support from general officers to implement these initiatives, given his limited time in office.
Tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth escalated when Driscoll was chosen to negotiate with Ukrainian officials in an effort to address the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. His expected departure was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Last year, Driscoll and his team launched the Army Transformation Initiative, focusing on delivering critical warfighting capabilities, optimizing force structure, and eliminating waste and obsolete programs.4
“Driscoll, an ally of Vice President Vance, was confirmed by the Senate in a 66-28 vote last year. He has been 'aggressive' in getting general officers to buy into his initiatives, given his limited tenure, and tensions with Hegseth flared when Trump picked him to negotiate with Ukrainian officials.”
thedailybeast.com
