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His resignation is the latest in a list of top officials who have been fired or asked to resign under Hegseth, including three- and four-star generals and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a group of top-ranking military officers who meet to directly advise the US president. Among them have been Black and female leaders, demographics the Trump administration has said were unfairly promoted in recent times because of "diversity, equity, and inclusion" initiatives he is now seeking to undo.
Technically, officials like Driscoll serve at the pleasure of the president, said Kelly Grieco, senior fellow at the Stimson Center think tank. So Hegseth, having been appointed by Trump, has the power to remove them. But for civilian leaders, as well as the rest of the military who are not told exactly why these personnel changes happen, "the sheer number of firings, and promotions that have been blocked, raises the question of whether there is a hollowing out of the senior levels of the military."
