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Department of Defence chief of staff Kevin Sweeney has resigned, a month after the Defence Secretary James Mattis announced his departure.

Rear Admiral Sweeney said in a statement that "the time is right to return to the private sector".

He is now the third senior Pentagon official to announce his resignation since President Donald Trump announced US forces would leave Syria. ...

In a terse resignation letter, he said it had been an "an honour to serve" alongside his colleagues in the department, but made no mention of Mr Trump.