A senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stepped down after six months of service, the Pentagon confirmed to
Fox News Digital
on Saturday.
Justin Fulcher, who joined the
Department of Defense
earlier this year as part of Hegseth’s core team, officially resigned Thursday evening. In a statement, Fulcher said the decision was planned and amicable, adding that he had committed to a six-month tenure and was now moving on.
“I’m proud of the great work
Secretary Hegseth
is doing for our troops and our country,” Fulcher told
Fox News Digital
. “It was an honor to support that mission, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve.”
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell thanked Fulcher for his contributions, saying, “The Department of Defense is grateful to Justin Fulcher for his work on behalf of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Key Role in Defense Initiatives
During his time at the Pentagon, Fulcher
advised
Hegseth on personnel and policy matters, and was involved in several major initiatives. He said he contributed to overhauling defense acquisition programs, reducing software procurement timelines from “years to months,” and modernizing IT infrastructure across the department.
He also supported high-level
engagements
in the Indo-Pacific, including the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, and assisted in efforts to reallocate nearly $50 billion from non-lethal accounts toward readiness and more critical defense priorities.
Fulcher praised the “dedicated men and women” of the Defense Department and described the ongoing efforts to restore the military’s combat mindset as “just the beginning.”
A Planned Exit
In a message posted to X (formerly Twitter) on
Saturday
afternoon, Fulcher confirmed his departure: “As planned, I’ve completed 6 months of service in government to my country. It’s been incredibly inspiring.” He also expressed gratitude to Hegseth and former President Trump for their leadership and support.
“None of this could have happened without Secretary Hegseth’s decisive leadership or President Trump’s continued confidence in our team,” he wrote. “I will continue to champion American
