Army Secretary Driscoll to Step Down by Year's End

WASHINGTON — U.S. Army Secretary Ryan Driscoll is expected to resign by the end of the year, opening a key vacancy in Pentagon civilian leadership as the Trump administration begins its search for a successor.

Driscoll, appointed by President Trump in 2023, oversees the Army's annual budget, commands more than one million active-duty and reserve personnel, and directs the service's readiness initiatives. His three-year tenure included overseeing modernization programs and strategic force restructuring.

Trump will nominate a replacement, who must be confirmed by the Senate. The confirmation process will test both chambers' appetite for a defense policy fight, with potential friction over global troop deployments, military spending, and the Army's posture in Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East.

The next Secretary will inherit acute problems: a chronic soldier recruitment shortfall, the integration of artificial intelligence and advanced weapons systems into combat units, and pressure to align force posture with allied commitments. Senate Armed Services Committee hearings for a nominee are expected early next year, following Trump's inauguration.