WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve to serve as the Army’s second-highest-ranking officer, according to congressional records.
Gen. James Mingus is currently vice chief of staff and has not publicly said he plans to step aside. He has been in the job less than two years, and it’s typically a tenure that lasts at least three years.
The move, posted in congressional records Monday, is the latest in a series of surprise and unexplained firings, reassignments, and promotions transforming the senior ranks of the military under Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Officials in the Army and Hegseth’s office offered no details on Mingus’ apparent ouster and the effort to promote LaNeve, currently Hegseth’s top military aide.
Maj. Peter Sulzona, a spokesperson for Mingus, stated via email that he would refrain from commenting on pending nominations but affirmed that Mingus “will continue to execute the duties & responsibilities of his position, focusing on warfighting and the wellbeing of our Soldiers.”
Before taking up the vice chief post last year, Mingus was at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, starting in 2020 under then-Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. Milley, though appointed by Trump in his first term, would later become a target for significant criticism in his second term.
The nomination comes just a week after Adm. Alvin Holsey, the Navy admiral overseeing military operations against alleged drug boats off Venezuela announced a surprise early retirement. Other military leaders, including Gen. Thomas Bussiere and Gen. David Alvin, have also recently declared sudden retirements citing personal reasons.
This reshaping of military leadership continues to unfold as President Trump embarks on his second term, amidst questions regarding the implications for command readiness and national security.
Gen. James Mingus is currently vice chief of staff and has not publicly said he plans to step aside. He has been in the job less than two years, and it’s typically a tenure that lasts at least three years.
The move, posted in congressional records Monday, is the latest in a series of surprise and unexplained firings, reassignments, and promotions transforming the senior ranks of the military under Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Officials in the Army and Hegseth’s office offered no details on Mingus’ apparent ouster and the effort to promote LaNeve, currently Hegseth’s top military aide.
Maj. Peter Sulzona, a spokesperson for Mingus, stated via email that he would refrain from commenting on pending nominations but affirmed that Mingus “will continue to execute the duties & responsibilities of his position, focusing on warfighting and the wellbeing of our Soldiers.”
Before taking up the vice chief post last year, Mingus was at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, starting in 2020 under then-Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. Milley, though appointed by Trump in his first term, would later become a target for significant criticism in his second term.
The nomination comes just a week after Adm. Alvin Holsey, the Navy admiral overseeing military operations against alleged drug boats off Venezuela announced a surprise early retirement. Other military leaders, including Gen. Thomas Bussiere and Gen. David Alvin, have also recently declared sudden retirements citing personal reasons.
This reshaping of military leadership continues to unfold as President Trump embarks on his second term, amidst questions regarding the implications for command readiness and national security.
