Hegseth Set to Unveil Sweeping 20% Cut in General and Admiral Positions

War Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce a 20% reduction in the number of positions designated for generals and admirals, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday. The planned cuts represent a major expansion of a target Hegseth established last year.

Hegseth is expected to outline the plan during a Wednesday speech at Quantico, Virginia. Hundreds of junior officers and enlisted officials are expected to hear him discuss his priorities for the military.

The two officials described the anticipated announcement on the condition of anonymity. They said Hegseth plans to cut billets reserved for general and flag officers by 20%.

Those billets cover generals and admirals holding ranks from one star through four stars. The new target is an increase from the minimum 10% reduction Hegseth laid out last year.

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The plan is not expected to take the form of simply firing every person connected to an affected position. One official said the rank assigned to some future jobs would be changed, while other billets would be canceled entirely.

That distinction places the immediate focus on the military’s position structure and the ranks attached to future assignments. Some jobs would remain but carry a different rank, while other designated positions would disappear under the plan described by the officials.

Hegseth has moved rapidly to reshape the War Department and its senior leadership. His actions have included firing senior officers across the military while also addressing personnel issues described as niche.

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Last year, Hegseth separately ordered a 20% reduction in the number of officers holding four star rank. The expected Wednesday announcement would apply the 20% reduction to the broader collection of general and flag officer billets.

The Quantico event comes one year after Hegseth spoke there before U.S. military generals and admirals. During that earlier appearance, he criticized “fat generals” and military diversity initiatives.

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President Donald Trump also delivered an address at Quantico last year. During his remarks, Trump floated using deployments to American cities “as training grounds for our military.”

The appearances by Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, and Trump, a former reality television star, resembled a reality television format, according to the source account. Senior U.S. military officials had been summoned to attend on short notice.

Top military leaders flew from around the world for that gathering and filled the auditorium. Hegseth used the appearance to defend his decisions to remove flag officers from prominent positions.

The officers he discussed included the top U.S. general, who is Black, and the Navy’s top admiral, who is a woman. Hegseth said the officers he relieved were part of a broken culture within the military.

Hegseth delivered a blunt message to leaders who objected to the direction he was setting. “If the words I’m speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” Hegseth said.

Image Credit: DoW

Wednesday’s expected announcement continues that emphasis on changing senior military leadership and the structure surrounding it. This time, the central figure is a 20% reduction in billets assigned to generals and admirals across the services.

The officials did not describe the plan as an immediate removal of everyone currently serving in those positions. Instead, the approach would alter the ranks attached to certain future jobs and eliminate other billets.

The planned reduction also goes beyond the minimum 10% cut announced last year for general and flag officer positions. It matches the 20% reduction Hegseth previously ordered specifically for officers holding four star rank.

Hegseth’s audience on Wednesday will differ from the auditorium of top military leaders assembled for the earlier Quantico speech. The upcoming remarks are scheduled before hundreds of junior officers and enlisted officials as he provides an update on his military priorities.

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