Trump’s Army Secretary Is Spending Twice As Much Time With Troops As His Predecessor

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has traveled to visit soldiers twice as often as his predecessor had at this point in her tenure, a signal of the Trump administration’s different approach to the military.

In the seven months since he was confirmed, Driscoll has visited 44 different locations, spending around 64 days out of the office. By comparison, Biden’s Army Secretary, Christine Wormuth, visited just 21 locations over 31 days [out of the office] at this point in her tenure.

“One of my top priorities as secretary is getting outside the building and meeting with soldiers,” Driscoll told The Daily Wire. “Transformation doesn’t happen from behind desks at the Pentagon; it’s happening out in the field.”

“Since becoming secretary, I’ve met with soldiers stationed across this nation and deployed around the globe,” Driscoll said. “I’ve asked these men and women to give me their unfiltered views on what the Army needs to do to improve quality of life, their thoughts on our newest weapon systems, and their ideas to make our Army more lethal.”

“Every soldier I’ve met is inquisitive, innovative, and resourceful – these men and women are the very best of our nation, and I want them to know that I have their backs,” he added.

An Army official told The Daily Wire that Driscoll has made taking care of soldiers his top priority, and that the secretary believes the most effective way to do so is to meet them in person. For this reason, he plans to spend a considerable amount of time on the road for the foreseeable future.

At his current rate, Driscoll is on track to outpace Wormuth, who traveled to 115 locations in total throughout her entire four-year tenure.

“Secretary Driscoll has shot our current and future weapon systems. He’s flown in Blackhawks, Chinooks, Apaches, fired tanks and Bradleys, rappelled from aircraft, done Physical Training (PT) with nearly every unit he’s visited, flown drones, driven in the ISV, visited soldiers on the southern border twice, and traveled to the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific,” an Army official told The Daily Wire.

“He has prioritized learning directly from those who will fight and win our nation’s wars and carrying their message to America’s capital.”

Driscoll’s commitment to interacting with soldiers aligns with the Trump administration’s hands-on approach to the armed services. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth regularly joins soldiers for workouts while traveling around the world, notably jogging with troops on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, during a visit commemorating the 81st anniversary of D-Day.

Under Driscoll and Hegseth, the Army met its 2025 recruiting goals four months ahead of schedule, The Daily Wire reported in June.