Outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s effort to modernize the service was a large part of his undoing.
09/01/2026 10:54 PM UTC
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll wanted to transform the service into a modern, tech-oriented force. Pete Hegseth made that almost impossible.
Driscoll resigned from one of the Pentagon’s top jobs this week after his vision became untenable with the Defense secretary’s desire for a department that prioritized appearance and cultural issues, according to a U.S. official and three people familiar with the internal dynamics.
The Army secretary, in his final months in the job, found his efforts to champion a leaner force with a lighter footprint challenged by Hegseth and the new acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, who focused on gearing the Army toward grooming and fitness standards, according to the people. And that, coupled with the resignation of well-regarded top generals, led Driscoll to head to the White House and deliver his resignation to President Donald Trump.
“He was in an untenable position,” said one of the people familiar with the situation, who, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. “He set out from day one to transform the Army and make it ready for the next big fight, technologically and even on the acquisition side, to figure out how we could buy stuff cheaper and faster. And seemingly at every turn, Secretary Hegseth tried to block those efforts.”