Hegseth’s transformation of the Pentagon continues apace

Published April 4, 2026 7:00am ET



Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s ousting of Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George is just the latest move in his effort to transform the department he has been tasked to lead.

With George’s forced retirement, the only members of the joint staff remaining from when Hegseth took office last January are Gen. Eric Smith, commandant of the Marine Corps, and Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations at Space Force.

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