WASHINGTON, DC—Today, after Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll announced his resignation, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army officer who serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“I thank Secretary Driscoll for his service to our nation, first in uniform as an Army officer and then as Secretary of the Army. He worked to transform the Army for the battlefield of the future, and he engaged with Congress candidly and consistently.

“I do not welcome Secretary Driscoll’s resignation. His departure leaves the Army without its top civilian and uniformed leaders, and a military service whose leadership ranks have been gutted by Secretary Hegseth. I am alarmed that Secretary Driscoll’s leadership of the Army stands in stark contrast to Secretary Hegseth’s disastrous tenure atop the Defense Department.

“It is far past time for President Trump to recognize the lasting harm that Pete Hegseth is inflicting on the Department of Defense. In the Army alone, he has fired and blocked the promotions of dozens of senior officers without explanation, including Army Chief of Staff General Randy George and half of all four-star generals. Secretary Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished and competence is secondary to personal allegiance.

“The Army is the backbone of the joint force. At this moment, hundreds of thousands of soldiers are deployed around the world, many in combat zones. The soldiers carrying out these missions deserve leadership that is reliable, forthright, and focused on the fight ahead. The Army cannot stay ahead of our adversaries while its senior ranks are hollowed out and its chain of command is left in limbo.

“We are watching the consequences of Secretary Hegseth’s actions ripple across the force in morale, in readiness, and in the erosion of public trust in the military. Secretary Hegseth must be held accountable.

“The next Secretary of Army must be an individual with wisdom, experience, and expertise to lead the more than one million soldiers and civilians of the U.S. Army. There are many strong candidates available to President Trump, and I urge him to nominate a leader with the qualities required to meet this challenging moment.”