A senior U.S. military adviser has abruptly departed the Army after reportedly being forced out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Col. Dave Butler, who served as communications adviser to Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, was fired on Hegseth’s orders, according to Fox News, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
It’s unclear why Hegseth took issue with Butler, who officially retired. Several outlets reported that Butler’s name had been on a list of officers nominated for promotion, but Hegseth held up those promotions in part due to Butler.
“We greatly appreciate Col. Dave Butler’s lifetime of service in America’s Army and to our nation,” Driscoll said in a statement. “Dave has been an integral part of the Army’s transformation efforts. He will be missed and I sincerely wish him tremendous success in his upcoming retirement after 28 years of service.”
Butler was also the top public affairs official under the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, who retired in 2023. Milley was chosen by President Donald Trump to serve in that role in 2019, but the two clashed repeatedly in the ensuing years.
Almost immediately after being sworn in as defense secretary in January 2025, Hegseth revoked Milley’s security clearance and directed department officials to open a review into the retired general’s conduct.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.