Mississippi State University graduate Adam Telle now oversees U.S. Army operations.
President Trump on Thursday named Telle as the acting Army secretary. The move follows the departure of Dan Driscoll, who had reportedly clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the ongoing military conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Both Trump and Hegseth touted the new secretary.
“He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, with Hegseth adding, “Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip smart. He is indeed a great Patriot — and will be an immediate asset to the [U.S. Army].”
Telle is currently the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works and has been influential in advancing the Yazoo pumps project in Mississippi. Prior to his post in the civil works division, Telle spent more than 20 years working for GOP lawmakers, including former Mississippi-based U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. He also worked in the White House, where he was the president’s chief liaison to the Senate during Trump’s first term.
During his time at Mississippi State, Telle was elected student body president. He earned degrees in computer science and communication while in Starkville.
“Tremendous choice by [President Donald Trump],” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves wrote on X. “Adam has been a great friend to Mississippi over the years and has done a lot for our state. And it’s hard to go wrong with a [Mississippi State] grad!”
Telle will now lead the U.S. military’s largest branch while the nation is still involved in a major conflict in the Middle East.
