Driscoll on Army Gen. George’s ouster: Civilians ‘get to pick the leaders’

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll on Thursday addressed the firing of the service’s former chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, saying he deeply respects the ousted officer but that civilian officials “get to pick the leaders that they want.”

“I was in North Carolina when Gen. George was asked to put in his resignation paperwork, with my family for my kids’ spring break. When we drove back from North Carolina, I drove straight to Gen. George’s house, we walked right in, and we all gave him a hug,” Driscoll said during a House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing.

“There is no person that has more respect for Gen. George … he was an amazing, transformational leader,” Driscoll continued. “That being said, the civilian leadership, the design of our system, is that they get to pick the leaders that they want, and we execute on those orders.”

Driscoll was responding to Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii), who said he personally had very high confidence........

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