Trump nominates Hegseth deputy to be Army's vice chief of staff

LaNeve previously served as the 8th Army commanding general in South Korea and the chief of staff for the Combined Forces Command.

By Misty Severi

Published: October 21, 2025 7:22pm

President Donald Trump on Monday quietly nominated one of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's military aides, Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, to serve as the Army's vice chief of staff.

If confirmed by the Senate, LaNeve would replace Gen. James Mingus, who has been in the post since January 2024.

LaNeve previously served as the 8th Army commanding general in South Korea and the chief of staff for the Combined Forces Command. Mingus previously served as the director of the Joint Staff before becoming the Army’s second-most senior officer, according to The Hill.

The move is the latest shake-up for the War Department. Trump removed former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q. Brown, earlier this year, along with military leaders of the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Earlier this month, Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, who oversaw the U.S. military’s strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea, said he will retire at the end of the year along with Gen. Thomas Bussiere, a top Air Force commander.

Gen. Bryan Fenton, who led U.S. Special Operations Command, retired in early October.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.