Tool singer Maynard James Keenan made the political personal over the weekend when he posted a lengthy Instagram message in support of his one-time West Point Academy classmate General Randy George after the four-star general was forced to take immediate retirement by Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth for reasons so far not revealed.
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The decorated Army Chief of Staff was ousted in the middle of Donald Trump’s grinding air war in Iran, shocking many military observers, including one who told Axios that such an action in the midst of a potentially historic conflict was “insane.”
Keenan posted images from his time at West Point of himself with George — who had just one year left in his term — and wrote of their time together at the distinguished military academy that has turned out Army officers for more than 224 years. “A few thoughts on my old friend, General Randy George,” wrote Keenan, who explained that as long as he could remember, he’d wanted to be some kind of artist, but after high school the “reality of tuition” set in so he had to figure out another path to his dream.
“My family were living on a teachers salary. Not much left over after bills. Grants and student loans weren’t going to cover it. So I joined the Army to take advantage of the Army College Fund. And as it turns out, I excelled in the military. Not what I was expecting,” Keenan wrote of the time in the early 1980s when he was figuring out his path. “I was awarded Distinguished Graduate from both basic and advanced training. Then after many many rounds of testing I was chosen to attend U.S.M.A.P.S. and to apply to the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. As you can imagine most of my classmate at West Point Prep were there with a singular mission. To be a West Point graduate and serve in our military. Focus, drive, a plan, and zero compromise. I, on the other hand, was one of the few with doubts and inner conflict.”
But when the time came to make a decision, he declined an appointment, which, he said, many around him at West Point at the time, saw as a “huge mistake. But a handful were very supportive. They knew me well enough to respect that decision. One of those supportive classmates was my Cross Country teammate, Randy George.”
Keenan noted that George went on to a distinguished military career, rising to the rank of four-star general and U.S. Army Chief of Staff. “He was approaching his 40th year of service. I can’t even imagine how disappointed and upset he must feel for having been ‘asked’ to retire early,” Keenan said. “So I’m just here to return that favor of support. We’re here for you, Randy. Might be time for a beer or three. See you soon.”
According to Reuters, the Pentagon confirmed George’s early retirement, but gave no reason for his ouster at a time when thousands of soldiers from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division are making their way to the Middle East for possible ground operations in Iran. Though there were reportedly no outward signs of friction between Hegseth and George, the move was the latest in a string of more than a dozen firings of senior military officers carried out by the former Fox & Friends Weekend host over the past year.
In an outgoing email following his shock ouster, George told Pentagon officials that U.S. soldiers deserve “courageous leaders of character,” according to CBS News. “I know you’ll all continue to stay laser-focused on the mission, continue innovating, and relentlessly cut through the bureaucracy to get our warfighters what they need to win on the modern battlefield,” George wrote. “Our soldiers are truly the best in the world – they deserve tough training and courageous leaders of character. I have no doubt you will all continue to lead with courage, character, and grit.”
