On August 21st, The Wall Street Journal reported exclusively that after months of tense relations with US Secretary of Defense Hagel, Army Secretary Daniel Reider is expected to leave his position before the end of the year, or even earlier.
According to people familiar with the matter, this summer, the Driscoll family moved out of the Army Secretary’s residence at the Myer-Henderson Hall Joint Base. His family moved to North Carolina, while Driscoll himself moved into a smaller apartment within the base.
According to reports, Driscoll is a close friend of Vice President Mike Pence in the United States. In the early days of this administration, he proposed that he would arrange for Pence and President Trump to inspect and meet with soldiers, as well as discuss matters related to military reform. This move caused dissatisfaction among Hagerseeth.
The Secretary of the Army is the highest civilian officer in the U.S. Army. The resignation of Driscoll will be another personnel shakeup at the senior level of the U.S. Army. In April this year, Haggess suddenly dismissed General Randy George from his position as Chief of Staff of the Army, and Trump has yet to nominate a replacement.
According to reports, during his 18-month tenure as Army Secretary, Driscoll established a close partnership with George. The two worked together to promote the adoption of new technologies by the U.S. Army, viewing them as the direction for future warfare. They also traveled to Ukraine with Chris Donahue, the then highest-ranking U.S. Army officer in Europe, in order to discuss peace negotiations with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
During a hearing, when asked about George’s sudden dismissal, Driscoll said to the lawmakers, “I also have great respect for General George.” He described George as “an outstanding leader with a spirit of reform.”
The report mentioned that Driscoll received praise from Trump last month. Trump said at the time, "Look at that charming smile, but he is actually a tough guy. Look at that beautiful, kind face. Everything seems so happy. He’s a tough guy. Can you believe it? But in reality, he’s the best person."
