Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve speaks during the Eighth Army relinquishment-of-command ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, April 16, 2025. (Lee Kihyuk/U.S. Army)
WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be the Army’s next vice chief of staff and replace Gen. James Mingus, who has been in the position for less than two years.
Trump nominated LaNeve for the job on Monday, according to a congressional nomination posting.
Mingus has served as the Army’s second-highest ranking officer since January 2024. Mingus joined the Joint Staff in October 2020 as director for operations. He became director of the Pentagon’s Joint Staff in June 2022.
Gen. James J. Mingus, U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff, delivers a presentation at the annual Maneuver Warfighter Conference on Sept. 11, 2025, at Fort Benning, Ga. (Joey Rhodes II/U.S. Army)
“The office of the vice chief of staff of the Army will not comment on pending nominations,” Maj. Peter Sulzona, a spokesman for Mingus, said in a statement. “Gen. Mingus will continue to execute the duties and responsibilities of his position, focusing on warfighting and the well-being of our soldiers.”
LaNeve came to the Pentagon in April to become the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Prior to advising Hegseth, LaNeve served as the commanding general of the Eighth Army in the Republic of Korea. Before that, he served as the Special Assistant to the Commanding General of Army Forces Command and the Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division.
LaNeve also would be promoted to the rank of general and receive a fourth star if confirmed by the Senate. It is not currently known when his nomination hearing will take place.
