United States Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll has officially submitted his resignation request to President Donald Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported that Driscoll decided to step down following several months of tense relations with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The publication specified that the friction between the two defense leaders was driven in part by the firing of numerous high-ranking army officers. Driscoll is expected to leave his post at the Pentagon in the coming days.
Escalating Leadership Friction
The formal submission of Driscoll's resignation letter follows earlier indications of leadership turmoil within the defense department. NBC News previously reported that Driscoll was planning to resign from his position in September.
Disagreements between the two civilian defense officials reportedly began on Driscoll's first day in office at the Pentagon. According to earlier reports, Hegseth shouted at Driscoll during his initial working day at the department.
During that interaction, Hegseth started yelling at Driscoll and told him that he was the person in charge at the Pentagon, ordering the army secretary not to exceed his authority.
Authority and Military Hierarchy
The Secretary of the Army is the senior civilian official responsible for the Department of the Army, one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense. Operating from the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, the army secretary manages administrative affairs, manpower, personnel, and equipment acquisition for ground forces.
The Secretary of Defense is a cabinet-level official who serves as the principal defense policy advisor to the President. The defense secretary exercises authority, direction, and control over all components of the Department of Defense, including the civilian heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
High-ranking army officers include general officers who hold key operational and administrative commands across the military branch. The Wall Street Journal is a national newspaper based in New York City, and NBC News is a national broadcast network.
Following the submission of his letter to President Trump, Driscoll is expected to formally depart the Pentagon within days.
