The U.S. Army has suddenly removed another high-ranking general from command.
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, who was the top general overseeing forces in Europe, was recently relieved of command.
This comes roughly two months before he was scheduled to depart.
Here are the details:
🚨 UPDATE: Top US general in Europe Charles Costanza has been REMOVED from command, months before his time on the job would've been up — ABC pic.twitter.com/sbAWDWOTjF
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 8, 2026
🇺🇸 Pentagon yanked a top general in Europe.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 8, 2026
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza got relieved of V Corps command nearly two months early with no public reason given.
This is the unit running U.S. Army ops across Europe and coordinating Ukraine support from Poland.
Sources say it’s not… pic.twitter.com/OQdIzBMESd
Pentagon yanked a top general in Europe.
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza got relieved of V Corps command nearly two months early with no public reason given.
This is the unit running U.S. Army ops across Europe and coordinating Ukraine support from Poland.
Sources say it's not political…but kinda odd for a three-star on NATO's frontline to get pulled with zero explanation.
Lt. Gen. Costanza was responsible for commanding the Poland-based V Corps, which has played a key role in supporting Ukraine.
At this time, it’s unclear what the Army’s reasoning was behind this latest military shake-up.
ABC News reported further:
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commander of the Army's V Corps, was removed from command in recent days, according to a service spokesperson, though the circumstances surrounding his removal remain unclear.
Costanza’s removal comes amid a broader shake-up of the military’s senior ranks, with more than two dozen high-ranking officers removed or sidelined under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, often without public explanation. But a source familiar with Costanza’s removal said it was unrelated to Hegseth’s broader effort to reshape the military’s top leadership and not due to any political implications.
Costanza's replacement, Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, had previously been Senate-confirmed for that leadership handoff already scheduled for October.
V Corps is responsible for overseeing U.S. Army forces and coordinating operations across Europe. Partially based in Poland, the corps has taken on an increasingly prominent role since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, helping coordinate U.S. support for Kyiv and managing the American military footprint along NATO’s frontlines.
Reportedly, Costanza’s removal was not motivated by political reasons.
The Hill cited an Army spokesperson and additional sources:
When reached for comment, the Army confirmed to The Hill Costanza's removal, adding the matter was "referred to the appropriate authority in accordance with Army regulations."
Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford, deputy commanding general of readiness for V Corps, will serve as the acting commanding general, an Army spokesperson said.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, who was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general last month, is to assume command of V Corps at Fort Knox in October. Feltey previously led 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
Costanza's abrupt removal comes as more than two dozen senior military officers have been removed or sidelined under the Pentagon's leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The shake-ups have impacted the Army as well, with Hegseth removing Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George and Gen. Chris Donahue, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
But Costanza's ouster was not political and was not done at the direction of Hegseth, two sources familiar with Costanza's removal told The Hill.
"Conduct that would get a commander relieved at any level," one of the sources said.
Previously, Costanza, who holds a master's degree in military studies from American Military University, was the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Europe – Africa. Before that post, he was the commander general of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.
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