U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation Monday night, ending an 18-month tenure as the youngest person ever to hold the post, according to the Associated Press. No reason was given for his departure from the role he had held since February 2025.
The army secretary is the Army’s top civilian leader, overseeing active-duty troops as well as the National Guard and reserve soldiers.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly praised Driscoll’s tenure in a statement seen by the AP.
“Secretary Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more,” Kelly said.
“The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War,” she added.
Driscoll, a former law school classmate of Vice President JD Vance, served as an Army officer beginning in 2007, later leading a cavalry platoon and deploying to Iraq for several months in 2009. He was also a Republican candidate for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district in 2020.
Rep. Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican who served in the Army National Guard, wrote on X that Driscoll is “a transformative leader who brought common sense and discipline to the Department of the Army.”
“I had the pleasure of working with him closely, and appreciated how engaged he was from mentoring cadets at West Point to leading the Army at the Pentagon,” Womack wrote. “The Army is better equipped and prepared to tackle emerging threats because of his leadership that strengthened the force while putting our Soldiers first.”
Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger, told reporters he worked well with Driscoll despite their policy differences.
It remains unclear when Driscoll will officially leave the position or when a successor will be named.
