1 of 3 | U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve has been appointed to serve as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s senior military assistant, after being nominated by President Donald Trump. LaNeve is currently the commanding general for the Eighth Army in the Republic of Korea. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army
March 25 (UPI) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve has been tapped to serve as his senior military assistant.
LaNeve, who currently serves as commanding general, Eighth Army/chief of staff, Combined Forces Command in the Republic of Korea, will be appointed to the grade of lieutenant general for his new assignment after being nominated by President Donald Trump.
As senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Hegseth, LaNeve will become the highest-ranking commissioned officer and the main military point of contact for the secretary to implement decisions and provide advice on all uniformed military matters.
LeNeve graduated from the University of Arizona in 1989 and was commissioned into the Infantry in May 1990. His initial assignment was to Fort Ord, where he served in 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry, 7th Infantry Division. More recently, he served as the Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
Last year, LaNeve assumed command of the Eighth Army to work with the Republic of Korea in the mission to defend their peninsula.
“I welcome this opportunity to serve with our ROK allies and will give my full effort in support of the ironclad commitment to the alliance between our nations,” LaNeve said on April 5, 2024.
LaNeve also served multiple combat tours during his military career in Afghanistan and Iraq, and took command of the division in Poland during the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 to guide 5,000 paratroopers.
During his deployments, LaNeve earned three Bronze Star medals. He has also been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Master Parachutist Badge.
LaNeve, who often took parachute jumps with the paratroopers he commanded, said, “Never ask your troops to do what you wouldn’t do.”
“Guns and leaders should get up front,” LaNeve told the University of Arizona Alumni magazine in 2023. “Lead from the front. It’s not just being there — it’s knowing your people and letting them know you care about them. Then, everything else is pretty easy.”