Effective Immediately

On the second of April, in the middle of a shooting war with Iran, the Secretary of War fired the Army's top general.

The announcement ran about 40 words. Randy George would be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army, effective immediately. The department was grateful for his decades of service. It wished him well.

No reason given, no hearing, no charge, no confirmed successor waiting. Thirty-plus years in uniform, Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan, and out the door on a Thursday afternoon with a thank-you note.

Two other generals went the same day, one running the Army's training and transformation command, the other the chief of chaplains.