US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce a major 20 percent reduction in the number of positions for generals and admirals across the US military. The plan will be revealed on Wednesday during a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
The cuts will cover billets for one-star through four-star officers. Instead of immediately removing current officers, some future posts will be lowered in rank while others will simply disappear. This step doubles the minimum 10 percent reduction Hegseth first proposed last year and builds on the 20 percent cut he already ordered for four-star positions.
Since taking office, Hegseth has reshaped the top ranks of the Pentagon. He removed Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in April. Just before the war with Iran began on February 28, he also dismissed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown Jr and Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned earlier this month after ongoing friction with Hegseth. President Donald Trump then named Adam Telle as acting Army secretary.
The new reductions arrive while the United States remains engaged in its conflict with Iran. The Pentagon has faced questions about damage to bases and losses of weapons systems during the fighting. Officials have not yet explained exactly how the cuts will be carried out or whether trimming senior leadership during active operations could affect daily military readiness.
Last year at the same Quantico base, Hegseth spoke sharply about what he called “fat generals” and diversity programs. He defended his earlier removals of senior officers and told military leaders that anyone unhappy with his direction should resign. The latest move continues that effort to slim down the senior ranks and tighten control over the Pentagon leadership structure.
The announcement is expected to draw close attention inside the armed forces and on Capitol Hill. Many officers will be watching to see which positions survive, which ones are downgraded, and how the changes affect the chain of command while the country remains at war. The Defence Department has not yet issued an official comment on the planned reductions.
