Joe Kasper, who served as the chief of staff under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is stepping down from his current position but will continue to serve as a Special Government Employee. His departure comes in the midst of a series of exits from top Pentagon roles, all amid an ongoing leak probe and allegations of defamation. Hegseth is under fire for allegedly conversing about Yemen strikes through the encrypted messaging app, Signal. Despite the controversies surrounding him, the White House has voiced its backing for Hegseth.