Removal of Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza as V Corps Commander Sparks Questions About Army Leadership Changes

The U.S. Army announced the removal of Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the commanding general of the Army’s V Corps, in recent days—nearly two months before his scheduled rotation would have ended. Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford, deputy commanding general of readiness for V Corps, was named acting commander, while Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, already Senate-confirmed for the role, is slated to assume command in October.

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Costanza, a graduate of American Military University, previously served as deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Europe-Africa and before that led the 3rd Infantry Division. His removal occurs amid a broader reshuffle in senior Army leadership, with more than two dozen high-ranking officers having been removed or sidelined under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Earlier this year the Pentagon cancelled a planned deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to Poland—a move that later prompted President Donald Trump to announce a separate plan to station 5,000 troops in Poland.

A top US general in Europe abruptly removed from command The Hill

An Army spokesperson confirmed Costanza’s removal and the referral to the appropriate authority but offered no further details. Two anonymous U.S. officials with knowledge of internal personnel matters told The Hill that the removal was not political and was not directed by Secretary Hegseth. A source familiar with the decision said it was unrelated to the broader leadership reshuffle.

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Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz indicated that the return of U.S. service members to Poland would occur in the “coming weeks.” In contrast, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed uncertainty about the deployment, noting that the U.S. had not yet sent the promised brigade. The abrupt change in V Corps leadership raises questions about continuity of U.S. support for NATO’s eastern flank and the Army’s internal accountability processes.

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• More than two dozen senior officers have been removed or sidelined under Secretary Hegseth’s tenure.

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• The canceled deployment involved a single armored brigade combat team from Fort Hood, Texas.

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• The planned 5,000-troop presence in Poland remains pending, with no confirmed arrival date.

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