During a nearly four-decade military career, George deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times and also served in positions including vice-chief of staff of the Army and senior military assistant to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin during Joe Biden’s term as President.
Trump has overseen a purge of top military officers, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February 2025.
Other senior officers dismissed include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice-chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to Nato, and three top military lawyers.
The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term, while the head of US Southern Command retired a year into his tenure.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has insisted the President is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicisation of the traditionally neutral US military.
Last year, the Pentagon chief additionally ordered at least a 20% cut in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US military, as well as a 10% cut in the overall number of general and flag officers.
– Agence France-Presse