WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has named Adam Telle as acting secretary of the Army, elevating a senior civilian official who previously oversaw the service’s civil works portfolio to lead the nation’s largest fighting force after the sudden departure of Dan Driscoll.
Telle, the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, assumes the post effective immediately, Trump said Thursday in a Truth Social announcement. The president called Telle “a Great Patriot” who is “respected by all.”
The appointment comes at a turbulent moment for the Army and the Pentagon. Driscoll resigned this week after months of reported tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including disagreement over the removal of senior officers and the direction of Army modernization efforts.
Telle now takes charge as the United States remains engaged in conflict with Iran, significant Army forces are deployed across the Middle East and the service confronts questions about missile-defense inventories, leadership vacancies and the future of drone and technology programs.
He is not a military veteran, but he brings more than two decades of experience in Washington policymaking, congressional relations, appropriations and executive-branch affairs. His background makes him a veteran of the political and bureaucratic side of national security, even though his most recent portfolio centered on waterways, flood protection and environmental permitting rather than combat operations.
His appointment also reflects Trump’s preference for trusted political and policy figures as the administration reshapes the Pentagon’s leadership.
A civil works official becomes Army leader
Before becoming acting Army secretary, Telle served as assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, a Senate-confirmed job he has held since August 2025.
The position oversees the civil works responsibilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, one of the federal government’s largest public-infrastructure organizations.
The Corps’ civil works mission includes:
- Maintaining commercial-navigation channels and waterways.
- Managing flood-risk reduction projects.
- Supporting coastal protection and water-resource infrastructure.
- Issuing and administering permits under the Clean Water Act.
- Conducting environmental reviews connected to construction and development projects.
- Managing major federal engineering projects in partnership with states and local governments.
In that role, Telle was involved in decisions with significant economic and environmental consequences.
The Associated Press reported that he recently issued a statement related to approval of a company’s plan to reroute an aging oil pipeline around a Wisconsin tribal reservation. He was also quoted in reporting about a $3.2 billion flood-control project in the Fargo, North Dakota, region intended to protect more than 200,000 people.
The civil works post is not normally viewed as a direct pathway to leading the entire Army. The acting Army secretary oversees military readiness, recruiting, training, equipment, personnel, procurement, budget priorities and the service’s relationship with Congress and the Pentagon.
But the job Telle held gave him experience managing a large Army institution, working with lawmakers and overseeing programs that involve billions of dollars in federal spending.
Trump’s decision moves him from infrastructure and water policy into the center of national defense decision-making.
A longtime Capitol Hill operative
Telle’s career has been shaped by Congress.
Before joining the Army Office of Civil Works, he served as chief of staff to Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee from 2021 through 2025, according to Legistorm, a platform that tracks congressional staff and lawmakers.
He also worked for 10 years with the late Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, a powerful Senate appropriator who chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee and played a major role in directing federal spending.
Telle’s experience with Cochran is especially relevant to his new role. The Army secretary must work closely with congressional appropriators and armed-services committees to secure funding for troops, weapons, infrastructure, modernization and quality-of-life programs.
Telle also served as chief staff member for the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee, according to remarks Hagerty made during Telle’s nomination process for the civil works job.
That work would have involved issues central to domestic security and federal operations, including funding for border protection, emergency management, transportation security, cybersecurity and immigration-related agencies.
His career gives him a deep understanding of congressional procedure, federal budgets and the political negotiations that shape national-security policy.
It also suggests Trump chose an acting secretary who can quickly navigate Capitol Hill during a period when the Army needs support for major spending decisions and leadership confirmations.
White House experience under Trump
Telle also served in the White House during Trump’s first term.
According to the Army biography cited by The Associated Press, he spent 18 months at the White House and served as the president’s chief liaison to the Senate.
That role placed him at the intersection of the executive branch and Congress, helping coordinate nominations, legislation, policy priorities and communication with senators.
The position would have required close involvement in the administration’s legislative agenda and an understanding of how to secure support from lawmakers for White House priorities.
His supporters have pointed to that background as evidence that he can manage the political demands of the Army secretary’s role.
Trump’s announcement offered only a brief public explanation for the decision. “I am pleased to announce that Adam Telle, the current Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, will become Acting Secretary of the Army, effective immediately,” he wrote. “He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all.”
Hegseth also praised the appointment.
“Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip smart,” the defense secretary wrote on X. “He is indeed a great Patriot and will be an immediate asset to the U.S. Army.”\
The statement is notable given the circumstances of Driscoll’s departure. Telle will need to establish a functional relationship with Hegseth quickly, especially after reports that friction between Hegseth and Driscoll contributed to the prior secretary’s exit.
Replacing Dan Driscoll
Telle takes over following the resignation of Driscoll, an Army veteran and longtime friend of Vice President JD Vance.
Driscoll submitted his resignation after months of reported tension with Hegseth. He did not publicly state a reason for stepping down, describing his service in a social-media post as “the honor of a lifetime.”
But multiple reports described divisions over senior military leadership, promotion decisions and the direction of the Army’s transformation agenda.
Among those removed from their roles was Gen. Randy George, the Army’s top uniformed officer and an ally of Driscoll. Gen. Christopher LaNeve has since taken over as acting Army chief of staff.
LaNeve recently ended a drone modernization program that Driscoll had championed, according to The Associated Press.
The disagreement illustrates a larger problem facing the Army: how quickly to shift resources toward unmanned aircraft, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, air defense and other technologies shaped by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Driscoll had supported a modernization program intended to help the Army adapt to the rapid growth of drone warfare. The service is under pressure to field cheaper, faster and more adaptable systems while maintaining traditional capabilities such as artillery, armor, logistics and air defense.
Telle now inherits that debate.
His immediate task will not be to settle every question about the Army’s future force design. It will be to stabilize leadership, preserve readiness and establish priorities with Hegseth, the White House and Congress.
A military role without military service
Telle’s appointment has also drawn attention because he has not served in the Army.
That is not a legal barrier. The secretary of the Army is a civilian post, and several previous Army secretaries have entered the job without prior military service.
The principle of civilian control is foundational to the U.S. military system. Civilian leaders make major policy, budgetary and personnel decisions, while uniformed commanders provide military expertise and carry out operational responsibilities.
Still, the absence of military experience can be politically significant, especially during wartime or periods of rapid institutional change.
A secretary without a uniformed-service background may need to rely more heavily on senior commanders for operational judgment. At the same time, a politically experienced civilian may be particularly effective at securing funding, managing the White House relationship and navigating congressional oversight.
Telle will need to show that he can do both: listen to military professionals and maintain the independent judgment expected of a civilian service secretary.
His experience overseeing Army civil works may offer some management familiarity with the institution. But leading the Army’s uniformed force involves a distinct set of responsibilities, including readiness, deployments, personnel policy, weapons procurement and force structure.
The Iran conflict and missile shortfalls
Telle’s appointment comes as the United States remains in conflict with Iran.
The Army plays a critical role in the Middle East, operating and supporting air-defense systems, missile-defense capabilities, logistics networks, command infrastructure and ground forces across the region.
The conflict has placed particular strain on Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptor missiles, systems operated by the Army and used to defend troops and allies against ballistic missiles and other threats.
The Associated Press reported that the war has significantly contributed to U.S. shortfalls in critical weapons, including Patriot and THAAD interceptors.
The issue is strategically important.
Missile-defense systems depend on expensive interceptors that can be consumed rapidly during a sustained conflict. Replacing them requires manufacturing capacity, congressional funding, supply-chain coordination and long-term procurement planning.
Telle will need to work with the Pentagon, defense companies and lawmakers to manage those inventory pressures while ensuring the Army retains sufficient capacity for other potential crises.
The service also has major responsibilities in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Any heavy drawdown of air-defense assets or precision munitions in the Middle East could affect planning in those regions.
Congress reacts to the transition
Telle’s long experience on Capitol Hill may help him win early support from lawmakers.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised Trump’s selection.
“The president made an excellent choice in appointing him to serve as Acting Secretary of the Army,” Wicker said. “Adam has been a fantastic partner as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. I am confident he will succeed in leading America’s Army.”
But the transition has also generated criticism.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina who has at times criticized Trump, said Hegseth was “creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks.”
The criticism reflects concern that repeated personnel changes could weaken the Army’s ability to plan and execute major reforms.
Senior military leadership requires continuity. Programs involving recruiting, weapons development, overseas deployments and force structure often take years to implement. Frequent changes at the top can slow decision-making, unsettle staff and complicate relationships with Congress and allied militaries.
Telle’s acting status adds another layer of uncertainty. Trump has not said whether he plans to nominate Telle for the permanent role.
An acting secretary can lead the department, but long-term authority and stability usually depend on a Senate-confirmed appointment.
What Telle must do next
Telle’s first days will likely focus on internal management.
He must meet with Hegseth, LaNeve and other senior commanders; assess the immediate demands of the Iran conflict; review critical munitions and readiness issues; and establish a working relationship with congressional leaders.
His longer-term agenda will likely involve five core challenges:
- Stabilizing the Army’s senior civilian and uniformed leadership.
- Determining whether to continue, revise or replace Driscoll’s drone and modernization initiatives.
- Managing the Army’s missile-defense and munitions requirements amid deployments to the Middle East.
- Preparing and defending the Army’s budget before Congress.
- Ensuring the Army can focus simultaneously on current operations and long-term competition with China and Russia.
The appointment may also answer a political need inside the administration. Telle is an experienced Republican staffer with White House ties, Senate relationships and a record of working in a Senate-confirmed Army role. He provides an immediate, familiar option after a contentious departure.
But he takes over at a moment when the Army needs more than continuity.
It needs clear direction.
A consequential interim role
Telle’s appointment is temporary, but the job is not.
The acting secretary of the Army now oversees an institution of roughly one million soldiers across the active-duty Army, Army Reserve and National Guard, supported by a vast civilian workforce and global logistics network.
He enters the post with experience in policy, appropriations, infrastructure and politics. What remains untested is how he will handle the operational and institutional pressures of leading the Army during conflict.
Trump’s choice signals confidence in Telle’s Washington credentials and loyalty. The coming weeks will show whether those skills can help steady an Army facing leadership turnover, modernization disputes and the practical demands of war.