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 in George’s leadership as the U.S. is in the midst of a war with Iran.

“When you collectively — the president, the secretary and yourself — decide to summarily fire the chief of staff of the Army — publicly, overtly, I would even say humiliatingly and cruelly — without any offer, apparently, of a graceful exit, you at least owe Congress, the public, and, I think most importantly, the soldiers some explanation, which you did not do,” Case said. 

In not disclosing a reason for George’s firing, Case said President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Driscoll “created and compounded numerous issues, including morale, uncertainty, and distrust.”

Thursday’s hearing was peppered with comments on George’s firing — from Democrats and Republicans alike — with House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) saying that the ouster is a “real loss” for the military.

“I just want the record to reflect how much we regret, I personally regret, at least, he’s no longer in active service. He’s a real loss to us, in my opinion,” Cole said.

Serving more than 40 years in the Army, George, a well-respected military leader, was ousted earlier this month at the request of Hegseth.

The removal caught many at the Pentagon by surprise, and a chorus of Republicans came out in support of George.

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) on Wednesday pressed acting Army Secretary Gen. Christopher LaNeve why his predecessor was fired by Hegseth.

“That’s a question for Secretary Hegseth,” LaNeve said during a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing.

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