US military sacks top general overseeing command in Europe; Hegseth not involved: Report

The US Army removed a top general overseeing the troops in Europe from command in recent days. However, Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza was sacked when he was just close to two months before his time in the role was coming to an end, two officials close to the matter told The Hill on Friday.

Lt Gen. Costanza was commanding general of the Army’s V Corps, a forward-deployed corps headquartered at Fort Knox, Ky., and Camp Kościuszko, Poland. When asked for comment, the Army confirmed to The Hill about Costanza’s removal, adding the matter was “referred to the appropriate authority in accordance with Army regulations.”

Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford, deputy commanding general of readiness for V Corps, will serve as the acting commanding general, an Army spokesperson said. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, who was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general last month, will be assuming the role in October.

Costanza’s abrupt removal came as more than two dozen senior military officers have been removed or sidelined under the Pentagon’s leadership of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. This overhaul has impacted the country’s army significantly.

‘Not political’

Earlier, Hegseth removed Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George and Gen. Chris Donahue, the commander of US Army Europe and Africa. However, two sources told The Hill that Costanza’s ouster was not political and was not done at the direction of Hegseth. “Conduct that would get a commander relieved at any level,” one of the sources said.

Meanwhile, a former defence official said that Costanza had an alcohol “problem”. Before heading the command, Costanza, who holds a master’s degree in military studies from American Military University, was the deputy commanding general of US Army Europe – Africa. Before that post, he was the commander general of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart.

However, a lot of manoeuvring is happening within the US Army. In May this year, the Pentagon cancelled the planned deployment of the Army’s 2nd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Poland. The brigade was based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Later that month, US President Donald Trump announced that the country would send 5,000 troops to Poland. The Defence Minister of the European nation, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, said in June that the return of US service members to the country will materialise in the “coming weeks”.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Hill in late July that the US has not sent an Army brigade to Poland as of now. “They’re sitting down,” Bacon said. “They’re trying to wait them out or something. I don’t know what they’re doing.”