A top US general in Europe abruptly removed from command

One of the Pentagon’s top generals overseeing military operations in Europe has been removed from command, the Army confirmed Friday. 

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.

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.

The Pentagon has downsized the U.S. military footprint in Europe this year, most notably with the abrupt cancellation of a planned deployment of the Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, to Poland.

President Donald Trump later announced the U.S. was going to position 5,000 troops in Poland after the brigade’s removal drew criticism in Warsaw. 

Costanza, an armor officer, has commanded the Army’s V Corps since April 2024. He previously led the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. 

Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford, deputy commanding general of readiness for V Corps, is serving as the acting commanding general, according to the Army.