LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll, has resigned after just 18 months on the job.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Driscoll was the Army's top civilian leader. And his relationship with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has grown increasingly tense.
FADEL: For more, we're joined by NPR National Security correspondent Greg Myre. Good morning, Greg.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Leila.
FADEL: So what was the source of friction between Hegseth and Dan Driscoll, the Army secretary?
MYRE: Well, it really began almost immediately. Hegseth began dismissing many top military officers, including a number of senior Army generals, and replacing them with officers seen as more aligned with Hegseth. And Hegseth also blocked promotions of Black and women Army officers that Driscoll supported. And these personnel differences were seen as the main reason, but not the only reason, they didn't see eye to eye. So before Driscoll became Army secretary, he worked in venture capital and explored ways new technology could upgrade the Army's drone program. And in office, he was sometimes known as Trump's drone guy. However, the Pentagon recently announced the dismantling of an Army drone unit in Europe which had been studying Ukraine's drone successes against Russia.
FADEL: Was Driscoll sharing his concerns, his misgivings along the way?
MYRE: Yeah, I think, at least indirectly. Back in April, Hegseth fired the chief of the Army, General Randy George, without giving a reason. Driscoll was asked about this when he testified in April on Capitol Hill. He said he was on vacation with his family in North Carolina when he heard the news, and they all drove straight to General George's home.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DAN DRISCOLL: We walked right in, and we all gave him a hug. There is no person that has more respect for General George and his 42 years of service. And he was an amazing, transformational leader.
MYRE: So this is just one episode that did make clear Hegseth and Driscoll were not on the same page.
FADEL: How significant is this resignation at a time when the U.S. is still in the middle of a war it started with Iran?
MYRE: Yeah, Leila, in the broad sense, this resignation is significant because it's part of this constant churn we're seeing at the Pentagon under Hegseth. And it's continuing as the Iran war still plays out, with no end in sight. But we should note the Army secretary is the Army's top civilian position. It's a critical job with a focus on issues such as overseeing personnel, dealing with the Army's budget and longer-term plan.
But this position is not part of the military chain of command. Driscoll is not commanding Army troops in the Middle East, though the Army does have significant forces there. The White House said in a statement that Driscoll was, quote, "highly effective in advancing President Trump's agenda to make America strong again." And it noted he had done significant things like take part in negotiations that were aimed at trying to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war.
FADEL: Now, Driscoll is very close with Vice President JD Vance. With Vance in his camp, does that mean he has a political future?
MYRE: Yeah, quite possibly. Driscoll and JD Vance were both military veterans who served in Iraq. And they met at Yale Law School and became very good friends. Vance had pushed for Driscoll to get this position as Army secretary, and Driscoll became the youngest ever Army secretary when he took the job last year at age 38. So well before Driscoll's resignation, there was a good deal of speculation he would leave the position at some point to take a prominent role in a JD Vance presidential campaign. No one would be surprised if this is where Dan Driscoll turns up next.
FADEL: That's NPR's Greg Myre. Thank you, Greg.
MYRE: Sure thing, Leila. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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