The Army’s abrupt removal of its top Europe-based commander has left a major command in the middle of a leadership handoff, with no public explanation for why it happened.
Quick Take
- The United States Army confirmed that Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza was removed from command of V Corps.
- The Army did not say why, and the matter was referred to the appropriate authority under Army rules.
- Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford is serving as acting commanding general until the planned turnover.
- Reporting says the removal came about two months before Costanza was expected to leave the post.
What the Army confirmed
The Hill reported that the Army confirmed Costanza’s removal from command after two unnamed United States officials first described the move. The service said the matter was “referred to the appropriate authority in accordance with Army regulations,” which points to an internal personnel action but gives the public no reason for the decision. The reporting said Costanza led V Corps, a forward-deployed Army unit with headquarters in Kentucky and Poland.
ABC News reported that the circumstances surrounding the removal remain unclear, even as it confirmed the same core facts: Costanza was removed in recent days, and the Army acknowledged the change. That reporting also said the move came close to two months before his expected end date, and it identified Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey as the officer already set to take over in October. In other words, this was not a rumor or a routine schedule note. It was an actual change in command.
The command change was already in motion
The timing matters because V Corps was already moving toward a planned turnover. The Hill said Feltey was set to assume command at Fort Knox in October, while Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford was named acting commanding general in the meantime. ABC News also said Mountford was serving in the acting role. That overlap suggests the Army had a transition plan in place, even though Costanza’s removal came early.
Costanza’s service history also shows that the command was not new to him. Army reporting on the earlier change-of-command ceremony said he took over V Corps in April 2024. Wikipedia’s biographical entry is consistent with that timeline, saying he had served as commanding general since April 8, 2024. The current reporting therefore fits a broader picture of a senior officer being removed before a scheduled rotation, not after a long public dispute.
Why the story is drawing attention
The strongest public fact here is simple: the Army removed a senior general without saying why. That kind of silence creates instant uncertainty, especially when the unit involved helps oversee American forces in Europe and supports NATO activity tied to the war in Ukraine. It also leaves room for competing interpretations, including claims that the move was tied to wider leadership changes under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or, as one source told The Hill, that it was not political.
🔴 Army relievs V Corps commander weeks before scheduled replacement
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps, was removed from command with less than two months remaining in his tenure. Costanza held the post for more than two years, starting in April 2024.
An… pic.twitter.com/R95VSpbPdA— NewsTongue (@NewsTongueX) August 8, 2026
There is also a second layer: the public record is still thin. The Hill reported that a former defense official said Costanza had an alcohol problem, but that claim was not backed by a public document in the reporting available here. For now, the confirmed facts are narrower than the speculation around them. Costanza was removed, Mountford stepped in, and the Army sent the matter into an internal process while declining to explain the reason.
Sources:
taskandpurpose.com, thehill.com, youtube.com, x.com, facebook.com, reddit.com
