Donald Trump has appointed Adam R. Telle as acting secretary of the US Army, following the resignation of Daniel P. Driscoll after months of reported tension with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Mr Telle, who currently serves as assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, will take charge of the service’s civilian leadership after Mr Driscoll stepped down on Monday. Mr Trump described him as “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all” in a post on Truth Social. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/ab235fbfd006506d4e6d52311f0e7002))
Under the Army’s usual succession arrangements, Michael Obadal, the under secretary and principal deputy to Mr Driscoll, would have been expected to serve as acting secretary. The president instead selected Mr Telle, who oversees the Army Corps of Engineers’ civil works programme.
The Corps is responsible for major public engineering projects, including dams, flood defences, sea walls and navigation infrastructure. Mr Telle’s official Army biography says his responsibilities include flood and storm damage reduction, commercial navigation and environmental permitting. ([api.army.mil](https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2025/08/29/0fa3fc32/final-asa-cw-hon-adam-r-telle-bio-as-of-28aug25.pdf))
Mr Driscoll gave no public explanation for his resignation. His departure followed repeated clashes with Mr Hegseth over the removal of senior Army generals and the direction of modernisation efforts, including initiatives involving unmanned systems. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/army-secretary-dan-driscoll-resigns/))
Before joining the Army, Mr Telle was chief of staff to Senator Bill Hagerty, the Republican from Tennessee. During Mr Trump’s first term, he led the Senate team in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs and served as the administration’s principal liaison with the chamber.
Mr Telle was sworn in as assistant secretary for civil works on August 5, 2025, after being nominated by Mr Trump and confirmed by the Senate. The Army Corps of Engineers was also directed by the administration last year to accelerate approvals for fossil fuel projects, including pipelines, mines and power stations.
