Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is poised to assume temporary leadership of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a rare dual appointment that places the 38-year-old at the helm of two high-stakes federal institutions, according to five defense officials familiar with the matter.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for both agencies. The ATF continues to draw partisan scrutiny over firearms regulation, while the Army is undergoing a strategic transformation to counter China's growing military influence in the Pacific.
Driscoll is in Europe this week visiting soldiers and meeting with key Army leaders in the region. Both the head of the ATF and Army secretary are full-time positions with enormous responsibilities and long workdays.
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As acting director, Driscoll, who has no background in law enforcement, will oversee nearly 8,000 employees, including more than 2,500 federal agents charged with enforcing firearms laws that have made the agency a frequent target of pro-gun activists and Republican lawmakers.
In recent years, the GOP has made no secret of its intent to slash ATF's authority, pushing to gut the agency's enforcement power -- particularly around gun background checks -- and at times calling for its complete dismantling.
In 2024, Republicans in Congress trimmed $47 million from the ATF's already modest $1.6 billion budget, signaling the latest round of partisan belt-tightening for an agency that's long struggled to secure consistent leadership.
Driscoll will be taking on the role from FBI Director Kash Patel, who was removed from leading the ATF as his second job. It's unclear what led to Patel's dismissal, but he was still running the FBI as of Wednesday afternoon.
Since Congress made the ATF director role a Senate-confirmed position in 2006, just two nominees have made it through the politically fraught confirmation process: Todd Jones in 2013 and Steve Dettelbach in 2022. Most other nominees have stalled amid fierce opposition and lobbying from gun rights groups.
Driscoll oversees the Army, its $185.9 billion budget, and nearly 1 million soldiers across active-duty and reserve components. The Army is in the midst of a radical shift, transitioning from the Global War on Terrorism era to revamping its equipment and doctrine to modernize the force in hopes of deterring China.
"The world is changing rapidly, and we must ensure the Army is prepared to operate in new, complex and contested environments," Driscoll said during his confirmation hearing in January.
Driscoll, who has been a close friend of Vice President JD Vance since the pair met at Yale Law School, has spent most of his professional career in venture capital and other business enterprises. He came into the Army secretary role with a light resume compared to his predecessors, most of whom had robust backgrounds in national security policy.
Driscoll served in the Army from 2007 to 2010 as a cavalry officer with the 10th Mountain Division based out of New York. He deployed to Iraq once during his service, left the Army as a first lieutenant and immediately went on to attend Yale.
-- Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.
Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the number of employees at the ATF and with more information on sourcing.
