WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is working to “lock in” Gen. Christopher LaNeve’s nomination for Chief of Staff of the Army, in the wake of reports that some Senate lawmakers would be hesitant to confirm the former military aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the job.
The Pentagon’s focus on LaNeve’s confirmation also comes amid reports that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll could leave his post as the service’s top civilian as soon as the beginning of next month — potentially setting up a situation where the top two roles in the Army lack Senate-confirmed individuals.
LaNeve “has the complete and total trust of [Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth. As we have made clear, we are actively coordinating with our Senate partners to lock in the optimal moment to formally submit his nomination, and we intend to do so,” Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement to Breaking Defense today.
LaNeve, the service’s vice chief of staff, is also serving as acting chief of staff after replacing Gen. Randy George, who was abruptly fired by Hegseth in April. LaNeve has yet to be formally nominated by President Donald Trump for the Army chief position.
According to The Wall Street Journal, in addition to expected Democratic opposition, LaNeve’s Senate confirmation is not fully supported by some Republican lawmakers, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst. The Journal reported earlier this month that Ernst is hesitant to confirm LaNeve partly due to the fact he’s only held the rank of four star for about six months. Typically, chiefs have a four-star role for at least 18 months before serving in the top position.
Spokespeople for Ernst did not respond to a request for comment from Breaking Defense by the time of publication.
“General LaNeve is precisely the kind of leader the U.S. Army needs right now. He’s decisive, focused on strengthening our Army, and not interested in playing politics in Washington. He is a back-to-basics, no politics, no-nonsense General — exactly what President Trump expects,” Hegseth said in a statement to Breaking Defense today.
“The critics coming after him are the same out-of-touch so-called insiders who’ve spent years undermining our military with woke policies and endless wars. They hold deep grudges against any commander willing to put America and our troops first, but their days of influence are over,” he continued.
Hegseth previously gave the same comment to The Washington Post today in response to its report that before George’s ouster, LaNeve suggested to George that an investigation into a potentially unsafe Army helicopter fly-by of Kid Rock’s residence should not proceed.
Driscoll Headed For The Door?
Hegseth’s defense of LaNeve also comes on the heels of multiple reports stating Driscoll could be exiting his role as the service secretary before the end of the year — possibly as soon as Labor Day, as NBC reported Tuesday. Driscoll and Hegseth have long been reported to have a strained relationship.
Driscoll’s potential exit would leave the Army absent of a Senate-confirmed civilian leader while the US is engaged, on and off, in hostilities against Iran. A spokesperson for Driscoll declined to comment, and a spokesperson from the Pentagon referred queries about Driscoll’s plans back to the Army.
If Driscoll does decide to step down, it is not immediately clear who will replace him. An Army official told Breaking Defense this week that “usually” the service’s undersecretary, currently Michael Obadal, would step into the role. Following reports on Driscoll and Hegseth’s tenuous relationship, the Army official told Breaking Defense that Obadal and Hegseth “have a great working relationship.”
However, Hegseth would be able to appoint whomever he wanted in an acting role, and would be under no obligation to put Obadal in, either as acting secretary or as the nominee for the full job. Notably, The Washington Post reported in April that Parnell, the Pentagon spokesman, told colleagues he is interested in the job.
During his tenure as the Army’s secretary, Driscoll, who is close friends with Vice President JD Vance, formed a close working relationship with George as the two traveled to Ukraine together last year to talk peace negotiations amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and to try to harness Ukraine’s lessons on drone warfare. This arrangement seemingly upset Hegseth, The Hill previously reported.
Further, as The Journal also reported, Hegseth was reportedly unhappy with Driscoll after the Army secretary began arranging plans to have Vance and Trump meet soldiers and discuss further Army reform.
