The United States military is at the centre of a fight on two fronts. First is President Donald Trump's attempt to prise the Strait of Hormuz from Iran's grip; the latest phase of his stalemated war in the Gulf which is drawing in US forces and equipment from around the globe. The second is a culture war at home in which Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is conducting a promised shake-up at the Pentagon, sparking bitter recriminations and a string of departures including the top civilian in charge of the US Army last week.
The upheaval has triggered questions that could shape the legacy of Trump's second term. Is the US military being stretched to a point that could risk global security? And are these shifts leaving America's extraordinary global network of alliances vulnerable?
Last Monday there was dramatic news from the Pentagon. One of its most senior political leaders, Dan Driscoll, stepped down as US Secretary of the Army. Driscoll is not exactly a household name in America, let alone outside it.
But his departure mattered. It was the latest twist in a power struggle within the fortress-like walls of the Pentagon over the future of the world's most formidable fighting force. Driscoll had clashed repeatedly with Hegseth over the nature and speed of military reform.
His departure was the latest in a long line of top leaders removed or sidelined by Hegseth. The level of concern became clear as one Republican Senator Thom Tillis - a frequent Trump critic - called for Hegseth to be fired. "I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country," he said.
You know, for our nation, for the army," H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump's National Security Adviser during his first term, told CBS when asked about Driscoll's departure. "Secretary Driscoll was pushing… a modernisation agenda to catch the army up." The backstory of Driscoll's resignation cut deep into issues about the readiness of the US Army.
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