Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump after 18 months in office, the White House confirmed on Monday, 31 August 2026.
His departure follows months of reported friction with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and marks the latest senior military exit during the Trump administration. Driscoll is expected to leave the Pentagon in the coming days. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/4853c46840a522911da5a510b01966d2))
No official reason was given for the resignation. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that Driscoll had decided to step down.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly praised his record, saying he had helped advance Mr Trump’s agenda, strengthen military readiness and support negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
She added that “the United States Army is more powerful than ever” because of his work with the president and the defence secretary. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/4853c46840a522911da5a510b01966d2))
Resignation follows upheaval among Army leaders
Driscoll’s exit comes after Gen Randy George, the Army’s top uniformed officer, was removed by Mr Hegseth in April. Gen Christopher Donahue, who commanded US Army Europe and Africa, also left his post in June after about 18 months in the role.
Gen Christopher LaNeve is serving as acting Army chief of staff. The Associated Press reported that the service is also abandoning a drone programme backed by Driscoll, with an Army unit in Europe being directed to return to its traditional infantry role. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/4853c46840a522911da5a510b01966d2))
Driscoll, a former Army officer and Iraq war veteran, was a close friend and former adviser to Vice-President JD Vance, whom he met at Yale Law School. President Trump described him as a “disruptor and change agent” when announcing his nomination in 2024.
He was confirmed by the Senate in February 2025 by 66 votes to 28. As Army secretary, he oversaw modernisation efforts and became a prominent advocate for accelerating the development of drones and counter-drone systems.
The Army’s official biography says Driscoll served as an armour officer from 2007 to 2011, including a deployment to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010. He was sworn in as the service’s 26th secretary on 25 February 2025. ([army.mil](https://www.army.mil/leaders/sa/))
