Army two-star received verbal counseling for suspension incident

A two-star Army general removed from his position as U.S. Northern Command director of operations in 2023 received a verbal counseling for the incident and now works as a special assistant to the director of the Army Staff.

Army Times reported in July 2023 that Maj. Gen. Joseph Lestorti was suspended permanently from his NORTHCOM position due to a “loss of trust and confidence,” as officials said at the time.

Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith confirmed to Army Times on Monday that Lestorti had not faced any criminal charges or written reprimand because of the investigation.

“The investigation into Maj. Gen. Lestorti found that he demonstrated an act of counterproductive leadership,” Smith wrote in an email statement. “Appropriate action was taken, and we consider the matter closed.”

When asked about the “appropriate action,” Smith confirmed that Lestorti was “verbally counseled.”

“In November of 2023, I received a phone call from the Director of Army Staff informing me of a single disputed finding in the investigation report and that the matter was now closed,” Lestorti told Army Times in an email statement.

Lestorti has been selected for a follow-on assignment from his current position and continues to serve.

“I am humbled by the trust and confidence placed in me by Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff of the Army Randy George,” Lestorti wrote. “It is my greatest honor to continue to serve and lead our soldiers.”

Both Lestorti and Smith declined to provide details about the incident that led to the two-star’s suspension.

But at the time of the suspension, sources familiar with the investigation told Army Times that the removal was not due to personal misconduct.

“He held people to a high standard, and I think that came to a head,” said one officer in July 2023, who spoke on the condition his name not be used, as he was not cleared to speak to media. “It’s not because of any allegations of personal misconduct of a nefarious nature.”

Retired Col. Joseph Buccino, a former public affairs officer familiar with the Lestorti investigation, told Army Times on Tuesday that the general is “a direct combat leader, not a counterproductive leader.”

Buccino noted how in his experience early reporting on such suspensions, firings or removals can, “inflict immediate and lasting reputational damage.”

“While the investigation process unfolds privately, the public news story impacts the officer’s career, family relationships, and future financial prospects,” Buccino said. “Despite resolutions that often clear the officer’s name, the original allegations — often with little context — cast a shadow over an officer’s career and family for years, appearing in online searches and professional background checks.”

Lestorti commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992. He was promoted to major general in September 2022.

As a major and then lieutenant colonel, Lestorti served first as the Arabian Peninsula Plans Officer for Special Operations Command headquarters and then as the J5 Strategic Planner and Operations Officer for Joint Special Operations Command.

He completed multiple overseas tours for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and various operations-centered positions and commands from 2005 to 2023, according to his official biography.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal, among others, according to his official biography.