WASHINGTON: US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan will leave office “immediately”, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday (Apr 22), without providing an explanation for the sudden exit.
Phelan’s departure follows the removal of top US Army officer General Randy George and two other senior officers earlier this month, at a time when the United States is locked in a war with Iran that still remains unresolved.
Phelan “is departing the administration, effective immediately”, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on X, adding that he would be replaced in an acting capacity by Undersecretary Hung Cao.
Since returning to office early last year, US President Donald Trump has overseen a purge of top military personnel, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February 2025.
Other senior officers dismissed include the heads of the US Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.
The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term, while the head of US Southern Command retired a year into his tenure.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicisation of the traditionally neutral US military.
Last year, the Pentagon chief additionally ordered at least a 20 per cent cut in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US military, as well as a 10 per cent cut in the overall number of general and flag officers.