US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is reportedly planning to leave his role at the Pentagon by the end of 2026, according to multiple outlets. The reported timing would create a change at the top of the Army’s leadership late in the year.
Both reports link the planned departure to months of reported friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with one outlet describing the relationship as involving a “turf war.” The outlets also highlight a potential leadership gap for the Army if Driscoll departs before a successor is in place. They note that the Army does not currently have a Senate-confirmed chief of staff, and that Driscoll’s exit could leave the Army without a Senate-confirmed leader.
While the outlets differ slightly in how they characterize the nature and duration of the conflict, they converge on the core points: Driscoll’s reported intention to step down by late 2026, the alleged strain between him and Hegseth, and the risk of reduced Senate-confirmed leadership within Army senior roles.
