He held staff positions on the Army Staff and the Joint Staff before commanding the 4th Infantry Division from 2017 and being deployed to Afghanistan again. George was later the commanding general of I Corps from 2020 to 2021.
As the Army chief of staff, he announced the Army Transformation Initiative in 2025, an effort to restructure the Army, eliminate redundancies, and incorporate new technologies.
George commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy in 1988 as an infantry officer. He served as a lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division and deployed in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm.[8] He had the roles of platoon leader, company executive officer (Desert Shield/Storm), scout platoon leader (3d Battalion, 327th Infantry), aide-de-camp and battalion S3-Air (3d Battalion, 187th Infantry).[7]
Following the Armor Officer Advanced Course in 1993, George was stationed at Fort Carson where he was the assistant operations officer for 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and then commanded C Company and later Headquarters Company in 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment.[8]
After that assignment he attended the Colorado School of Mines, and later held a position at the Tactical Directorate, National Simulation Center, Fort Leavenworth.[6]
Returning to the 101st Airborne Division in 2004, George commanded 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment and deployed a second time to Iraq[8] from 2005 to 2006.[7] He then went to United States Naval War College as an instructor of joint military operations and then as a student.[8][6] He deployed again as part of the initiatives group for the commanding general, Multi-National Corps-Iraq in 2007,[8] in Baghdad.[7]
After two staff assignments as the director of force management for the Army (G-3/5/7) from May 2015 to June 2016, and deputy director for regional operations and force management on the Joint Staff (J-3) from June 2016 to August 2017, George took command of the 4th Infantry Division.[8][9] In this role he deployed again to Afghanistan[8] for nine months, where he served as deputy chief of staff for operations of the Resolute Support Mission.[7] After relinquishing command in October 2019, he was briefly a special assistant to the vice chief of staff of the Army.[9]
After becoming the chief of staff he said his top priorities were preparing the Army to fight future conflicts, strengthening the Army profession, and improving recruitment.[16]
Initiatives undertaken for the former include improving the Army's ability to counter drone warfare, increasing the range and accuracy of long-range weapon systems, and ensuring that the U.S. industrial base can meet the needs of the Army.[17]
In 2024, he decided to cut 5% of the general officer positions in the Army by declining to fill 12 of the total of 219 positions in the next several years, which were deemed "non-essential."[18] At Army headquarters, it was decided to reduce its size by 1,000 personnel.[19][20] George also led the Army out of one of the worst recruiting crises in its history in 2024.[21]
On 1 May 2025, George and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll announced the Army Transformation Initiative, a project to restructure the Army, reduce inefficiency, and quickly incorporate new technologies, as part of a larger effort consistent with a directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.[20][22] Described as the Army's biggest restructuring in a generation, among its changes are the creation of transformation-in-contact brigades and plans to merge several existing Army commands.[23][24] The first phase of the initiative took place during 2024, when three Army brigades started experimentation with new technology and structures as transformation-in-contact brigades.[25] This was intended to assist the Army's adoption of drones and other systems that have been widely used in the Russo-Ukrainian war. George also ended the Army's acquisition of the M10 Booker, after it was determined to be too easy to destroy with drones, and accelerated the development of the M1E3 Abrams and the acquisition of the Infantry Squad Vehicle.[21]
In November 2025, George was part of a delegation of senior Army officials that were led by Secretary Daniel Driscoll to Ukraine, where they met with Ukrainian leaders to discuss the peace negotiations in the Russo-Ukrainian war.[27] On 5 December 2025 he spoke at the activation ceremony of the United States Army Western Hemisphere Command, where he passed the colors to its first commanding general.[28] After the start of the Iran war on 28 February 2026, George worked to get additional personnel and air defense assets to the Middle East.[29]
On 2 April 2026, Hegseth asked George to leave his post and retire. George's retirement was "effective immediately", according to a Pentagon spokesman. His removal occurred a year and half before the completion of what is typically a four-year term.[30][31] Hegseth's decision was reportedly due to George's close partnership with Army Secretary Driscoll and disagreements over the promotion of senior Army officers.[21][32][33] The vice chief, Christopher LaNeve, became acting chief of staff after George's removal.[34] He officially retired on 24 April.[35]
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