In an outgoing email, Gen. Randy George, the recently ousted Army Chief of Staff, stated that U.S. soldiers require “courageous leaders of character.” This sentiment was shared after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested his immediate retirement. George expressed his pride in serving alongside the troops and urged them to remain mission-focused and innovative. The Department of War acknowledged George’s decades of service, with Gen. Christopher LaNeve stepping in as acting Army chief of staff. This change follows a series of dismissals of senior military officers by Hegseth, aimed at aligning the military with his and President Trump’s vision.
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The White House has drawn criticism for posting a video on its official account that intersperses clips from the video game *Call of Duty* with real footage of missile strikes in Iran. The montage, captioned “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue,” begins with a video game animation depicting a missile strike before transitioning to actual military footage against Iranian targets. This controversial post followed the U.S. entering an armed conflict with Iran, which has resulted in significant casualties and retaliatory attacks on Israel and U.S. bases. The White House has previously been criticized for using video game imagery, such as from *Pokemon* and *Halo*, in other promotional content.
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Prolific video game designer Vince Zampella was killed in a single-car crash on Angeles Crest Highway on Sunday. The Ferrari Zampella was driving, which had just exited a tunnel, struck a concrete barrier and caught fire. Zampella, co-creator of the *Call of Duty* franchise and head of Respawn Entertainment, was a leading figure in the video game industry. Zampella’s studios were responsible for numerous best-selling games, including *Titanfall*, *Apex Legends*, *STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order*, and led a team behind the *Battlefield* franchise.
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John Q. Hosedrinker