US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll could leave his position by the end of this year as tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth continue to grow, according to the Wall Street Journal. His possible departure could add to the uncertainty surrounding the senior leadership of the US Army. Driscoll's future comes into question at a time when the Army is already operating without a Senate-confirmed chief of staff. Hegseth removed General Randy George from the position in April but did not publicly provide a detailed explanation for the decision. The Pentagon has also not named a permanent replacement for George. General Christopher LaNeve, the Army's vice chief of staff and a former senior military aide to Hegseth, is currently serving as acting chief of staff.

Driscoll's Family Moves to North Carolina

Driscoll's personal arrangements have also raised questions about his future in the post. According to the report, Driscoll and his family left their official residence at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall during the summer. His family subsequently moved to North Carolina, while Driscoll shifted to a smaller apartment at the military installation. Driscoll is a former Army Ranger and has a long-standing friendship with Vice President JD Vance. However, his relationship with Hegseth reportedly became strained early in the Trump administration. The tensions emerged after Driscoll worked on plans for Vance and President Donald Trump to visit troops and discuss proposed changes to the Army. The effort reportedly contributed to friction between Driscoll and Hegseth.

Push for New Military Technology

Despite his difficulties with Hegseth, Driscoll developed a close professional relationship with General George during his approximately 18 months as Army secretary. The two leaders supported greater use of emerging technologies within the Army. They argued that innovations developed by private companies could play an important role in future military operations. Driscoll also travelled to Ukraine with George and General Chris Donahue, who was then the Army's senior general in Europe. During the visit, Driscoll met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed peace negotiations. The trip also gave Driscoll an opportunity to examine lessons from the war in Ukraine. He encouraged the Army to study how Ukrainian forces use commercially available technologies in combat. The experience reinforced the argument that rapidly developed civilian technologies can have significant military applications on modern battlefields.

More Than $25 Billion in Army Projects

Driscoll's tenure also saw major private-sector investment in Army-related projects. Private companies committed more than $25 billion to projects involving data centres, critical mineral refineries and dining facilities at Army bases across the United States. However, his working relationship with George faced a major disruption when Hegseth removed the Army chief in April. George's dismissal generated criticism in Congress, including from Republican lawmakers who had supported him. During a congressional hearing, lawmakers asked Driscoll about the decision. He avoided directly challenging Hegseth but made clear that he continued to support George. “I, too, love Gen. George,” Driscoll told lawmakers, calling him “an amazing, transformational leader.”

Trump Praises Driscoll

Despite the uncertainty over his position, Driscoll has continued to receive public backing from President Trump. Trump praised the Army secretary at a defence conference in Pennsylvania last month. While describing Driscoll's personality, Trump said his appearance could make him seem less intimidating than he actually was. “With that beautiful smile, but he's actually a killer. Look at that beautiful, nice face. Everything's so happy. He's a killer. Would you believe it? Those are the best guys, actually,” Trump said. Driscoll's possible departure would come at a sensitive time for the Army. With the service already lacking a permanent chief of staff, another change at the top could create further uncertainty over its leadership and direction.