US Army secretary Dan Driscoll resigns after months of reported tensions with Pete Hegseth

New Delhi: The US Army secretary, Dan Driscoll, has submitted his resignation after about 18 months as the service’s top civilian official. The White House confirmed on Monday that Driscoll is stepping down but did not give a reason for his departure.

An army official told the Associated Press that Driscoll spoke with the United States president, Donald Trump, about the state of the army and submitted his resignation. As of Tuesday, the White House had not publicly confirmed whether Trump had formally accepted it.

The status of Trump’s acceptance remained unclear. Fox News separately cited a senior US official as saying the resignation was still pending presidential acceptance.

No official final working day has been announced. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the resignation, said Driscoll was expected to leave the Pentagon in the coming days. Army Times separately cited a source as saying his resignation would take effect on September 3 but said the Pentagon had not confirmed that date.

The White House praised Driscoll’s tenure without addressing the circumstances behind his decision.“Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing Trump’s agenda to make America strong again at the department of the army,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

The White House also credited Driscoll with strengthening army readiness and lethality, providing leadership during military operations and assisting the Trump administration’s efforts in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

His departure follows months of reported friction with the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth. The White House and Pentagon have not publicly identified those tensions as the reason for Driscoll’s resignation.

Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Driscoll had raised concerns with the administration over army transformation and readiness. According to the report, Driscoll believed those efforts had been affected by Hegseth’s removal of senior generals involved in the army’s modernization drive.

The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Driscoll and Hegseth had been at odds over the direction of the army and the removal of senior officers. Axios reported on Tuesday, that Driscoll had grown frustrated over what he saw as obstacles to his modernization initiatives and disruption caused by changes in the army’s senior leadership.

One of the most prominent personnel changes came in April, when Hegseth removed the army chief of staff, General Randy George. Reuters reported that George’s removal caught Driscoll off guard and increased his frustration with Hegseth.

Driscoll had publicly expressed his regard for George. During congressional testimony after George’s departure, he said his family had visited the former army chief at his home, while also acknowledging the authority of civilian leaders to select senior military leadership.

Other changes have followed at the top of the service. General Christopher Donahue left his post as commander of US Army Europe and Africa in June, while General Christopher LaNeve is serving as acting Army chief of staff following George’s removal.

Who is Dan Driscoll?

Driscoll was sworn in as the 26th secretary of the US Army on February 25, 2025, after the US Senate confirmed his nomination by a 66−28 vote. As army secretary, he was the service’s senior civilian official, responsible for overseeing its personnel, operations, modernization and resources. His tenure included efforts to accelerate weapons acquisition and bring commercially developed technology into the army, particularly in areas such as drones and counter-drone systems.

Before joining the Trump administration, Driscoll served as an army armour officer with the 10th Mountain Division. Commissioned in 2007, he led a cavalry platoon and deployed to Baghdad in 2009 during the Iraq War.

He later attended Yale Law School and worked in investment banking, private equity and business operations. Driscoll met the US vice-president, JD Vance, at Yale and later served as an adviser to him.

Driscoll also took on an unusual diplomatic role for an army secretary when the Trump administration involved him in negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Army leadership transition

Driscoll’s resignation comes as the army is already undergoing changes at the top of its uniformed leadership, with its chief of staff position currently being filled in an acting capacity. No acting army secretary or nominee to permanently replace Driscoll had been officially announced as of September 1.

His departure also comes while US army personnel remain deployed in the West Asia amid continuing US military operations. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has publicly suggested that Driscoll’s resignation will affect those operations.