Pentagon shake-up deepens as Hegseth drives military overhaul

The United States military is facing a new period of internal strain as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes ahead with a promised shake-up at the Pentagon. The latest development is the departure of Dan Driscoll, who stepped down last week as US Secretary of the Army after clashing repeatedly with Hegseth over the pace and direction of reform. The upheaval has intensified scrutiny of how the Pentagon is being run and whether the changes could affect the wider strength of the US armed forces.

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According to the supplied material, Driscoll was one of the most senior political figures in the Army and his resignation was described as a significant moment inside the department. The row centred on military modernisation, with Driscoll pressing for urgent changes that would bring drones into ordinary Army formations and help the service adapt to 21st Century warfare. The article says he argued that the war in Ukraine had shown how the battlefield has changed, with cheap drones and anti-missile systems challenging traditional military structures and procurement systems.

The leadership turmoil has also drawn political criticism. Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, publicly called for Hegseth to be fired. He said he had never witnessed more inept management of the men and women serving the country, according to the supplied report.

Former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster also criticised the situation, saying Driscoll had been pushing a modernisation agenda to catch the Army up. The dispute matters because it comes at a time when the US military is described as being under pressure on two fronts.

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The report links the Pentagon shake-up to President Donald Trump's attempt to prise the Strait of Hormuz from Iran's grip, which it describes as the latest phase of a stalemated war in the Gulf drawing in US forces and equipment from around the world. That wider strain gives the leadership changes added significance, because they are unfolding while the military is already managing overseas commitments and strategic uncertainty. The article also frames the issue as part of a broader culture war inside the Pentagon.

Hegseth is said to be carrying out a promised overhaul that has already led to a string of departures, removals or sidelining of senior leaders. That has raised questions about whether the changes are improving accountability and readiness, or instead creating instability at a moment when the US relies on a large global network of alliances and military commitments. Driscoll's resignation is presented as especially important because it touched on the Army's future force structure.

His push for drones in standard formations reflected a view that the service must adapt more quickly to the lessons of the war in Ukraine. The report suggests that this debate is not only about equipment, but also about whether the Pentagon's bureaucracy and procurement system can respond fast enough to changing warfare. The leadership changes also carry political implications for the Trump administration.

The article says the upheaval could shape the legacy of Trump's second term, particularly if it is seen as weakening confidence in military management or leaving allies uncertain about US reliability. At the same time, supporters of reform may argue that the Pentagon needs a faster and more aggressive approach to modernisation. What remains unclear is how far Hegseth's overhaul will go, whether more senior departures will follow, and how the Army's reform agenda will be handled after Driscoll's exit.