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Hegseth asks the Army’s top uniformed officer to step down while US wages war against Iran

Apr 2, 2026, 1:52 PM | Updated: 6:26 pm

FILE - Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Cer...

FILE - Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, file)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, file)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, to step down, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the United States wages a war against Iran.

A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, confirmed that George has been asked to take early retirement from the post of Army chief of staff, which he has held since August 2023.

The ouster of George is just the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals by Hegseth since he first took office last year.

CBS News was first to report the ouster.

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Hegseth asks the Army’s top uniformed officer to step down while US wages war against Iran