Trump is nominating a new deputy commander of the Army, with the current general appointed just two years into the position

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve to be the Army’s second-highest-ranking officer, according to congressional records.

Gen. James Mingus currently serves as deputy chief of staff and has not publicly said he intends to step down. He has been on the job for less than two years, and his tenure usually lasts at least three years.

The move, made public in congressional records on Monday, is the latest in a series of abrupt and unexplained firings, reassignments and promotions that have transformed the military’s senior ranks under Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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Officials in the Army and Hegseth’s office did not provide any details about Mingus’ apparent ouster and efforts to promote LaNeve, who is now Hegseth’s top military aide.

Maj. Peter Solzona, a spokesman for Mingus, told The Associated Press via email that he would not comment on pending nominations, but that Mingus “will continue to carry out the duties and responsibilities of his position, with an emphasis on the warfighting and the well-being of our Soldiers.”

Before taking over as vice chairman last year, Mingus was on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, starting in 2020 under then-Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. Milley, although appointed by Trump in his first term, later drew the wrath of the president and became the target of significant criticism in his second term.

The nomination and replacement come less than a week after Adm. Alvin Hulsey, the Navy admiral who oversees military operations against alleged drug boats off Venezuela, announced a surprise early retirement in December.

About a month ago, Gen. Thomas Bossier, head of the Air Force’s Global Strike Command, suddenly announced his retirement, citing “personal and family reasons.” This came a little more than a month after Air Force Commander Gen. David Alvin announced a surprise early retirement.

The retirements follow a wave of unexplained firings in August that included Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Cross, then head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency; Vice Adm. Nancy LaCour, Chief of the Naval Reserve; and Rear Admiral Milton Sands, the Navy officer who oversaw Naval Special Warfare Command.

Cross produced a preliminary intelligence assessment of damage to Iranian nuclear sites, which was leaked to the press and contradicted the Trump administration’s claims.

In April, Hegseth also abruptly fired Air Force Gen. Tim Hoff, who led the National Security Agency and an admiral who held a senior position in NATO.

Early in the administration’s time in power, Trump also fired Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the Navy’s top officer, the Air Force’s second-highest-ranking officer, and the top lawyers for three branches of the military service.