SCOOP: Hegseth orders removal of Army public affairs chief amid broader Pentagon purge Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has directed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to remove Colonel Dave Butler from his position as chief of Army public affairs. This action occurs while Driscoll is in Geneva as part of the negotiating team to end the Ukraine war, and it is happening amidst a series of unexplained firings and forced early retirements of senior military officers initiated by Hegseth since he entered the Pentagon.

• Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered the removal of Colonel Dave Butler from his role as chief of Army public affairs.
• Colonel Butler also served as chief advisor to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who is currently involved in Ukraine war negotiations.
• Butler’s promotion to brigadier general was delayed, and he offered to remove himself from the promotion list to facilitate other promotions.
• Army Secretary Driscoll had resisted Hegseth’s pressure to fire Butler, citing his contributions to Army transformation.
• Hegseth has previously removed or forced early retirement of several high-ranking military officers without stated reasons.
• These actions have reportedly caused fear and uncertainty among senior military leaders.
• Butler has a distinguished career, including service with special operations units and as a spokesman for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.