WASHINGTON: Randy George was removed as Chief of Staff of the US Army on Thursday by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a rare move that marks one of the most significant shake-ups in the Pentagon’s senior leadership in recent years.

According to US defence officials, the Pentagon confirmed that George, who had more than a year remaining in his term, would be retiring from his position as the 41st Army chief with immediate effect.

In an official statement, the department thanked him for his decades of service, wishing him well in retirement, but did not provide a reason for his abrupt departure.

Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hegseth also dismissed David Hodne, head of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and William Green, who leads the Army’s Chaplain Corps.

The move comes at a time when the United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East amid ongoing operations linked to tensions with Iran.

While recent strikes in the region have primarily involved the Navy and Air Force, US Army troops have been deployed for air defence roles, with additional forces — including elements of the elite 82nd Airborne Division — arriving in the region.

Reports suggest that Christopher LaNeve, currently serving as vice chief of staff, will assume the role in an acting capacity.

George, an infantry officer with service in Iraq and Afghanistan, was confirmed as Army chief in 2023. Before that, he served as vice chief of staff and as a senior military adviser to former defence secretary Lloyd Austin.

His removal adds to a broader pattern of leadership changes at the Pentagon, including the earlier dismissal of Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman CQ Brown, as well as changes in top Navy and Air Force positions.

Despite the high-profile nature of the decision, there had been no public indications of tensions between Hegseth and George prior to the dismissal.