Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has directed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to remove Colonel Dave Butler from his role as chief of Army public affairs and senior advisor, marking the latest leadership shakeup inside the Pentagon as the department undergoes significant restructuring.
On Thursday, Hegseth ordered Driscoll to remove Butler from his post, despite Driscoll having resisted the move for months. Driscoll had reportedly valued Butler’s role in Army transformation efforts and communications strategy. The directive came just before Driscoll was scheduled to depart for Geneva to lead the U.S. delegation in ongoing talks related to the war in Ukraine.
In a statement provided to The Washington Post, Driscoll praised Butler’s service. “We greatly appreciate Col. Dave Butler’s lifetime of service in America’s Army and to our nation,” he said, noting that Butler had been “an integral part of the Army’s transformation efforts.” Butler is set to retire after 28 years in uniform.
Butler previously served as head of public affairs for the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the tenure of General Mark Milley as chairman. Milley’s time as chairman became a point of contention among Trump-aligned officials after reports that he reassured Chinese military leaders during the 2020 transition that the United States would not initiate military action. President Donald Trump sharply criticized those reported communications at the time.
Following Trump’s return to office, the Pentagon revoked Milley’s personal security detail and security clearance, and investigations were launched into aspects of his conduct. Those moves were widely reported and reflected long-running tensions between Milley and Trump-aligned leadership over issues involving civilian control and communications with foreign counterparts.
The Department of War has not publicly cited Butler’s association with Milley as the reason for his removal. However, the timing of the decision, combined with broader personnel changes across the department, has fueled speculation about internal disagreements over leadership philosophy and messaging.
Since taking office, Hegseth has overseen significant turnover among senior military officials. Multiple high-ranking officers across service branches have been replaced, retired, or reassigned as part of what department officials describe as a refocusing on mission priorities and chain-of-command alignment.
Butler’s situation is notable because his name appeared on promotion lists for brigadier general in consecutive years. Hegseth has delayed approvals for several officers selected by Army promotion boards amid broader reviews of senior leadership. Butler ultimately volunteered to withdraw his name from consideration to ease the backlog.
His removal comes as the Pentagon navigates sensitive international engagements in Europe and the Middle East. Lawmakers and defense analysts are likely to scrutinize how ongoing leadership adjustments affect continuity and cohesion within the department during a period of heightened global tension.
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