For the first time in history, the U.S. Army chief of chaplains has been fired by the Secretary of Defense.
Pete Hegseth made national headlines April 2 for firing Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff. But on the same day, Hegseth removed Army Maj. Gen. William Green, who had served in that post since 2023.
Traditionally, a person serves as Army chief of chaplains for a four-year term. No reason was given publicly for Green’s dismissal, which was reported by KGW8 in Portland, Ore., and The New York Times.
Army Maj. Gen. William Green
Green’s unusual dismissal came amid a shakeup of top Army brass deployed by Hegseth, an avowed Christian nationalist who believes America’s war in Iran is sanctioned by God. Hegseth also has pushed for changes in the work of military chaplains, telling them to be less therapeutic and more pastoral.
Within his one-year tenure, Hegseth has fired or sidelined more than two dozen senior military leaders, heavily targeting Black and female officers and elevating white men to leadership roles in their place.
Green is a native of Savannah, Ga., and grew up on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Upon graduation from high school, he joined the U.S. Army as a cannon crewman and field radio repairman. In 1986, he left the Army to pursue theological education and ordination. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Savannah State University, with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice, and a 1992 graduate of Emory University with a master of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology.
He became an Army chaplain in 1994 with endorsement from the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. He has held chaplaincy leadership positions in the Pentagon multiple times and also has been posted to Fort Shafter, Hawaii; Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington; Wiesbaden, Germany; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Camp Casey, Korea; and Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with a silver and bronze oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters and the Army Staff Badge.