Gen. Joe McGee Retires Amid Pentagon Tensions

Lt. Gen. Joe McGee, a three‑star Army officer who served as director for Strategy, Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff advising the chairman on long‑term military strategy, retired earlier this month after 35 years of service. Multiple outlets, first CNN, report McGee was effectively pushed out following months of sustained tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine over the Russia‑Ukraine war, recent U.S. strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, and McGee’s perceived slow pace and pushback. Sources say his stalled promotion — he was nominated under the prior administration as director of the Joint Staff but was not renominated — and perceived ties to former leaders Mark Milley and Lloyd Austin contributed to the friction. The Pentagon and Joint Staff spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the characterization of a clash, calling some reporting “fake news,” while thanking McGee for his service. McGee’s exit is the latest in a broader wave of early retirements, firings or reassignments under Hegseth, including at SOUTHCOM and the Defense Intelligence Agency, though whether he left voluntarily or was forced out remains contested.