US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s focus on culture war issues is disrupting efforts to modernise the Army, according to a report by CNN following Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s resignation.
A source familiar with Driscoll’s departure told CNN he raised concerns about Army transformation and readiness, including Hegseth’s removal of generals leading modernisation efforts.
“When you fire these guys for arbitrary reasons, it creates confusion and a void … the Army is enduring turbulence right now,” a former senior Army official told CNN.
Sources pointed to the departures of Army Chief of Staff Randy George, Gen. Christopher Donahue and Gen. David Hodne.
All three had worked on adapting the Army to modern warfare, including growing battlefield reliance on drones.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the criticism, calling claims that Hegseth was not focused on modernisation a “total fabrication.”
Driscoll also publicly praised Hegseth on Tuesday, saying the Army “could not have made the progress we did without the support of Secretary Hegseth.”
However, defence expert Mike O’Hanlon told CNN that Hegseth’s culture war battles were distracting from military priorities.
“He’s so obsessed with these false vendettas and battles,” O’Hanlon said.
The leadership shake-up leaves the Army facing uncertainty as it continues efforts to modernise its forces and adapt to rapidly changing battlefield technology.
