The rise of a tough four-star general expected to be the next Army chief of staff

Ranev’s hard-line approach did not endear him to the rank and file of the 82nd Airborne Division, with many booing him when he showed up at an All-America Week event in his final year as commander, according to current and former members of the unit.

But it was this reputation for discipline, and later a chance encounter with President Trump, who declared the square-jawed general not eligible for “central selection,” that catapulted Ranev to become the highest-ranking officer responsible for training and equipping the Army.

Ranev, now acting Army chief of staff, could be nominated as early as this week, according to U.S. officials, although Trump may change his mind about the appointment.

“What he did, which I admire, was bring the 82nd Airborne Division — which had kind of drifted away — back to traditional training and traditional values,” said Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the former 82nd Airborne Division commander who recommended Ranev for a senior Pentagon job advising Hegseth before Trump’s second term. “I think the Army has moved away from traditionalist ideas and what fighting means and how to fight.”

Ranev, described by colleagues as ambitious but humble, would likely face stiff questioning from lawmakers if he were confirmed for the Army’s top military post. Some Republicans have said privately they are unsure whether he is right for the job, according to people familiar with the matter.

Through a spokesman, Ranev declined a request to be interviewed for this article.

Ranev has less experience than most of his predecessors: He has served as a four-star general for just three months since being confirmed as Army vice chief of staff on Feb. 6. Most CEOs spend at least 18 months in a four-star role before taking the top job.

Lawmakers are also expected to use Ranev’s nomination to raise concerns about other issues, including Hegseth’s decided to open fire The recent appointment of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, and reductions in troop levels in Europe.

Hegseth said in a statement that Ranev had his “full support” and dismissed critics as “the same out-of-touch so-called insiders who have undermined our military for years through woke policies and endless wars.”

“He was very good at what he did, very hard-working, very smart, willing to, as they say, the term, ‘speak truth to power,'” Kellogg said.

But Ranev’s rise has not been without controversy. He was serving as a one-star general on the Army staff in 2021 when a group of pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol. As director of Army operations, readiness and mobilization, Ranev was the liaison between the Army and the National Guard, according to current and former officials.

Defense Department Inspector General found no misconduct by department or Army officials. The watchdog concluded that the actions taken by the Ministry of Defense in response to the January 6 riot were “reasonable given the circumstances that existed on that day”.

But less than a month later, 36 page memo An attorney for the D.C. National Guard at the time claimed that senior officials, including Ranev, covered up the fact that the Army’s riot response was delayed by an hour. The memo was written by Col. Earl Matthews, now the Pentagon general counsel under Hegseth, who insisted Raneff and Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt had lied.

“Piatt and Ranev literally changed facts and memory overnight. The final product was a revisionist pamphlet worthy of the best Stalinist or North Korean propagandist, almost caught in the act,” Matthews wrote.

Piatt and Matthews did not respond to requests for comment. Spokesmen for the Army and Pentagon did not respond to questions about Ranev’s involvement in the Jan. 6 response.

During the unit’s annual All-American Week celebrations, Raneff also banned a long-standing tradition of veterans throwing beer cans at running soldiers and ordered uniformed units to patrol the route to obtain alcohol, people familiar with the matter said. Raneff believed there were safety concerns with the practice, according to Army officials.

Maj. Peter Sulzona, Ranev’s spokesman, said such rules are not new or unique to commanders.

“He believed the focus should be on the war and all other distractions were just distractions,” Sulzona said.

At the same time, some of Ranev’s subordinates believe that Ranev is pursuing Biden-era policies that Trump and Hegseth have decried as “woke,” such as allowing the use of preferred pronouns and training on transgender identity and diversity initiatives, although much of that rhetoric has been ignored at lower levels of command. In June 2023, he signed a memorandum commemorating Pride Month, the letter said.

“We appreciate the contributions of LGBTQ+ paratroopers and understand that inequality and discrimination undermine the strategic advantages of diversity and our core mission,” reads the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. and Army officials defended Ranev’s decision to sign the memorandum, explaining that he was asked to do so by the previous administration.

Ranev appeared surrounded by dozens of soldiers and impressed the commander-in-chief. “Welcome back, Mr. President,” Ranev said, reciting a script that was reviewed before the event, according to Army officials.

“Is this guy centrally cast or something?” Trump asked the ballroom crowd.

Kellogg said Ranev was already among the top military aides to succeed Hegseth, and he suggested that the incoming defense secretary interview Ranev before the inauguration.

In interviews, Hegseth was impressed by Ranev’s record and his consistency with the Pentagon chief’s military plans, according to current and former officials familiar with Hegseth’s thinking. Ranev’s performance in the interview and the president’s praise of his performance in the video gave Ranev an advantage, people familiar with the matter said.

Ranev came to be liked by Hegseth for his work ethic, ability to address problems head-on and provide an experienced military perspective, officials said. Last year, Ranev was a staunch supporter of the Pentagon chief’s controversial September reassignment. End shave exemption One official said nearly all troops do this.

Since becoming Pentagon chief last year, Heggs has fired or sidelined at least eight top Army generals, including George.

Ranev became the primary beneficiary of these changes, as some of those eliminated cleared the way for his rise.

“General Raneff is exactly the kind of leader the Army needs right now. He is decisive, focused on strengthening our Army, and not interested in playing politics in Washington. He is a back-to-basics, apolitical, no-BS general — exactly what President Trump wants,” Hegseth said.

Write to Lara Seligman lara.seligman@wsj.com with Dan Lyon at dan.lyon@wsj.com