U.S. Army Relieves V Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Charles D. Costanza Amid Leadership Shakeup in Europe

One of the U.S. Army's senior officers in Europe, Lt. Gen. Charles D. Costanza, was relieved of command of V Corps in recent days with under two months remaining in his assignment. The Army confirmed the relief and said the matter has been referred to the appropriate authority under Army regulations, but it offered no further public details.

V Corps and Interim Leadership

V Corps is a principal U.S. Army formation in Europe that coordinates closely with NATO allies and U.S. rotational forces under Operation Atlantic Resolve. Brig. Gen. John Mountford, currently deputy commanding general for readiness at V Corps, has been named interim commanding general while the Army processes the personnel action.

"Lt. Gen Charles D. Costanza, commanding general, V Corps, was removed from command," an Army spokesperson said. "The matter has been referred to the appropriate authority in accordance with Army regulations."

Planned Successor

Last month the Department of Defense announced Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey as the nominee to lead V Corps. Feltey relinquished command of the 1st Cavalry Division on Aug. 4 and is expected to assume command of V Corps in October pending final approval.

Career Background

Costanza is a career armor officer with deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. His documented leadership assignments include command roles such as the 3rd Infantry Division. The Army’s statement did not provide additional detail about the reasons for his removal.

Broader Context

Costanza's relief is the latest development amid a series of leadership changes and force-posture debates affecting U.S. Army operations in Europe. In May, the Pentagon canceled two large troop rotations to Europe following diplomatic disputes with some allied leaders, including a planned rotation of 4,000 soldiers to Poland. After public backlash, then-President Donald Trump said 5,000 troops would be sent to Poland; in July, Poland’s defense minister indicated rotations would resume "in the coming weeks."

Earlier this summer, Gen. Christopher Donahue relinquished command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa roughly halfway through his tour; the Pentagon later nominated Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral to replace Donahue. The Pentagon has also launched a review of U.S. force posture in Europe that could influence future troop levels and deployments.

Note: The Army has confirmed the removal but has not disclosed the nature of the allegations or the authority now handling the referral. As the matter proceeds through official channels, the Army is expected to release additional information in accordance with personnel and investigatory policies.