As Dan Driscoll Exits, Who Is in the Running for Permanent Army Secretary?

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned after about 18 months in the job, and President Trump has named Adam Telle to lead the department in an acting capacity.

Attention now turns to who the White House will nominate for the permanent position and what the leadership change could mean for an Army already undergoing major modernization and acquisition reforms.

Several names have surfaced in public reporting. Here’s what we know about the acting secretary, who could be nominated next, and the priorities the next permanent Army secretary will inherit.

Driscoll’s Resignation and Last Day

Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation on August 31, 2026, after serving as Army secretary since February 2025. He said September 2, 2026, was his last full day in the position.

His resignation followed months of reporting about tension between him and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. CBS News reported in August that Driscoll was considering leaving the position, although no departure date had been announced at the time. The White House didn’t give a public reason for his resignation.

During his tenure, he pushed the service to change how it develops and buys military equipment, including efforts to get newer technology into Soldiers’ hands faster. His work included changes involving drones, counter-drone systems, and other emerging capabilities.

“Modernization is particularly vulnerable to losing momentum because many decisions need to be driven from the top,” said Mark F. Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Cancian said readiness is more often managed within the Army itself. He also pointed to force structure (how large the Army should be and how it should be organized) as another major issue facing its leadership.

Driscoll’s successor will therefore inherit an Army already changing how it buys equipment, organizes the force, and decides which capabilities receive priority.

Who Is the Acting Secretary Now?

President Trump has already chosen someone to lead the Army while the search for a permanent secretary continues.

On September 3, 2026, Trump announced the appointment of Adam Telle through a social media post as acting secretary of the Army. He had been serving as the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, a position connected to the Army Corps of Engineers and its civil works programs.

Adam Telle spent much of his career working on Capitol Hill, including as chief of staff to Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee. He also served during Trump’s first administration on the White House legislative affairs team responsible for Senate relations.

Cancian said close ties to Congress, the White House, or the Secretary of War can be valuable for an Army secretary. Telle’s background gives him experience working with both Congress and the White House.

Telle is serving as acting secretary while the administration considers candidates for the permanent position.

Who Is Being Discussed for Army Secretary?

The administration has not announced a final list of candidates for the permanent position.

Several names have emerged in public reporting as possible successors, including Sean Parnell, Mike Obadal, Marc Andersen and, more recently, Rep. Brian Mast. None has been formally nominated, and the administration could ultimately choose someone else.

They come from very different backgrounds:

• Parnell is a former Army officer and combat Veteran who now works closely with Hegseth at the Pentagon.
• Andersen is the Army’s senior financial management official and works directly on the service’s budget and financial systems.
• Obadal is already one of the Army’s top civilian leaders and has experience in the military and defense technology.
• Mast is an Army Veteran and member of Congress who currently chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

These names should be viewed as publicly reported possibilities, not as the administration’s confirmed four candidates. The White House has said that the president will decide when and where to announce a nominee.

Who Is Sean Parnell?

Sean Parnell has emerged as one of the most prominently reported possibilities for the position.

He currently serves as the Pentagon’s chief spokesman and a senior adviser to Hegseth. Before joining the administration, he served as an Army infantry officer and deployed to Afghanistan.

Parnell’s military career gives him direct experience with Soldiers and combat operations. His official biography says he received two Bronze Stars, including one for valor, and a Purple Heart. After leaving the Army, he became an author and worked in veterans' advocacy and politics.

He then ran unsuccessfully for Congress and later joined the Trump administration. His current position also puts him close to Hegseth and other senior defense officials.

CBS News reported that Hegseth has told people close to him that Parnell is his preferred choice for Army secretary. Semafor also reported that Parnell is emerging as a top contender, while stressing that Trump had not made a final decision.

Who Is Marc Andersen?

Marc Andersen brings a different type of experience to the discussion. He serves as the Army’s assistant secretary for financial management and comptroller. He is in charge of the service’s financial management work.

His work is closely tied to modernization because new weapons and technology require funding. The Army has been changing its financial systems to move money more quickly toward emerging needs. Andersen has also worked on combining budget lines for unmanned aircraft, counter-drone systems, and electronic warfare.

Outside the Pentagon, Andersen is less well known than Parnell or Obadal. His name has appeared in reporting about possible successors, although he has not been publicly identified as a nominee.

Who Is Mike Obadal?

Mike Obadal already serves as the Army’s No. 2 civilian official.

He is the Army’s under secretary and serves as its chief management officer. His responsibilities include business operations, personnel systems, acquisition strategy, and major efforts to change how the Army operates.

Obadal also has extensive military experience. He served in the Army beginning in 1996, led attack helicopter units, and later served as a special operations officer. After leaving the military, he worked in the private sector on advanced technology programs for U.S. government customers.

Obadal’s name has also appeared in reporting about Driscoll’s possible successors. But reports have noted that he does not appear to be actively campaigning for the position, and he has not been announced as a nominee.

There is also a legal issue that would need to be considered if Obadal were nominated. Federal law generally bars appointment as Army secretary within seven years of leaving active duty as a commissioned officer in a regular military component. Because Obadal left active service in 2022, that provision could be relevant to his eligibility and would need to be reviewed if he were nominated.

Who Is Brian Mast?

Rep. Brian Mast of Florida has also surfaced as a possible choice.

Mast chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee and previously served more than 12 years in the Army.

Semafor reported on September 2 that multiple sources described Mast as being in the mix for the Army secretary position. Mast also acknowledged that he had heard his name discussed, although the White House has not identified him as a formal candidate.

His background would bring both military service and current congressional experience to the position.

What Will the Next Army Secretary Inherit?

The next Army secretary will step into several changes already underway from Driscoll’s tenure.

The Army is fielding more drones and counter-drone systems, reshaping parts of its force structure, and changing how it buys and funds new equipment.

Those efforts still require senior-level decisions about which programs to prioritize, where resources should go, and how quickly new capabilities can move into Soldiers’ hands.

Cancian said this makes the leadership transition especially important for acquisition and force structure. He noted that major changes often need direction from the top, while readiness is more routinely managed within the Army itself.

The next secretary will also face a broader question about the Army’s role as U.S. strategy continues to emphasize the Pacific.

Cancian said,

“Many strategists would shrink the size of the Army to move resources to the Navy and Air Force. All echelons of the Army’s military and civilian leadership have been working to make an argument for the Army's capabilities.”

That debate goes beyond the Army’s overall size. It can influence which formations and capabilities receive priority and how the service makes its case for funding. Cancian’s comments also point to a larger decision facing the next leader: which changes already underway should continue and where the Army may need to adjust its approach.

The secretary will inherit programs already in motion while also making the case for how those investments support the missions the Army expects to perform.

What Happens Next?

Adam Telle will serve as acting secretary, while the White House considers a permanent replacement. The acting arrangement gives the Army a civilian leader while the administration decides whom to nominate for the permanent position.

Once the president selects a nominee, the nomination will go to the Senate. It would then be referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee. SASC will review the nominee and may hold a confirmation hearing before sending the nomination to the full Senate for a vote.

The White House has not announced a permanent nominee yet. Until it does, the immediate challenge is maintaining continuity across the Army’s ongoing acquisition, force structure, readiness, and personnel efforts while the service waits for confirmed civilian leadership.