Dan Driscoll has stepped down as US Army Secretary after approximately 18 months in the position, marking the latest departure from senior Pentagon leadership amid ongoing tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The resignation of Dan Driscoll, 41, represents another significant shift in the Trump administration's military leadership. Driscoll, the youngest person to hold the Army Secretary position, had served since 2025 and became known as a key figure in advancing the administration's defence priorities. The White House characterised his tenure as marked by "outstanding leadership" and effective advancement of the president's agenda, according to statements provided to CBS.
Driscoll's departure follows months of documented friction between him and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over various policy matters. The two officials had fundamentally disagreed on several defence-related issues since both assumed their roles in 2025, contributing to an increasingly fractious working relationship at the highest levels of the Pentagon.
The resignation adds to a broader pattern of senior military departures under Hegseth's leadership. Since taking charge of the Defence Department, Hegseth has removed more than a dozen senior military officers from their positions, including the chief of naval operations and the Air Force's vice-chief of staff. Other recent high-profile exits include Navy Secretary John Phelan, who departed abruptly in April, alongside Army Chief of Staff Randy George, Army General David Hodne, and Major General William Green.