US Army general overseeing Europe operations removed from command

Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, one of the senior U.S. Army officers overseeing military operations in Europe, has been removed from command nearly two months before his scheduled departure, the Army confirmed on August 7.

Costanza, commander of the Army’s V Corps, was removed from his post in recent days, according to a service spokesperson. The circumstances surrounding his removal remain unclear, ABC News reports.

His departure comes amid a broader shake-up of the U.S. military’s senior leadership, with more than two dozen high-ranking officers removed or sidelined under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, often without public explanations.

However, a source familiar with Costanza’s removal said it was unrelated to Hegseth’s broader effort to reshape the military’s top leadership and was not connected to political considerations.

Costanza’s replacement, Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, had already been confirmed by the Senate for the leadership transition, which was originally scheduled for October.

V Corps oversees U.S. Army forces and coordinates military operations across Europe. Partially based in Poland, the corps has taken on a more prominent role since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, helping coordinate U.S. support for Kyiv and managing the American military presence along NATO’s eastern flank.

Costanza, an armour officer, has commanded V Corps since April 2024. He previously served as commander of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

By Sabina Mammadli