Hegseth to Slash Senior Military Positions by 20 Percent, Pentagon Says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is preparing to reduce the number of generals and admirals across the United States armed forces by 20 percent, a move that would reshape the leadership of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, according to a Pentagon official who spoke to Al Jazeera.

The official said Hegseth is expected to make the announcement on Wednesday during a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, where he will deliver what is being billed as a "State of the Force" address. The audience is expected to include junior officers and enlisted personnel, a setting that underscores the secretary's stated focus on the lower ranks of the military hierarchy.

The Associated Press, citing Pentagon officials, reported that Hegseth will instruct all military branches to double the 10 percent reduction in flag and general officer positions that he ordered last year. The combined cut would amount to a 20 percent decrease in the roughly 800 positions that carry the rank of general or admiral, with the reduction to be finished by January 1, 2027.

According to Fox News, the new reductions could affect any officer holding the rank of one-star general or above, as well as officers of equivalent rank in the Navy. The Washington Post reported that the cuts could alter the career trajectories of "hundreds of current and rising military leaders," following a period already marked by numerous firings and denied promotions.

The planned reduction is the latest step in a broader effort by Hegseth and President Donald Trump to overhaul the military's senior leadership. Since taking office in January 2025, the two have fired or pushed into retirement more than two dozen military leaders. Among those removed was General Randy George, the Army's top uniformed officer, who was dismissed in April.

The administration has also terminated the only two women serving as four-star officers, along with several other senior female officers. Other top officials have departed through retirement or resignation, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who stepped down this month after repeated clashes with Hegseth.

When the defense secretary first announced his intention to trim the highest levels of the military ranks, he argued that the goal was to eliminate "redundant force structure to optimise and streamline leadership." In a memo released in May 2025, he added that he wanted to free the armed forces from "unnecessary bureaucratic layers."

The effort has unfolded alongside other controversial personnel directives. Around this time last year, Hegseth declared an end to what he described as "woke" culture in the military and issued new standards for troops that included "gender-neutral" or "male-level" benchmarks for physical fitness.

Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voiced concern about the latest move in a statement. He said any elimination of senior leadership positions must be carried out in consultation with Congress and warned that the planned cuts "should alarm every American."

"Congress has been clear with the Secretary that he must consult this body and explain his reasoning for senior officer removals and promotion holds. To date, we have not received satisfactory answers," Reed said.

"Our military is conducting major operations around the world, and the force is already under strain," he added, suggesting that the reductions come at a moment of significant global demands on U.S. forces.

The number of general officer positions is established by law, but the administration can leave those posts unfilled if it declines to submit nominees to Congress for confirmation. That procedural avenue means the planned reduction could be achieved in part through attrition and vacancy rather than formal legislative change.

The scope of the cut is notable given the relatively small size of the senior officer corps. Roughly 800 flag and general officers lead a force of more than one million active-duty personnel, and their ranks include the senior commanders who oversee major regional commands and combatant operations. A 20 percent reduction would remove dozens of senior leaders from a structure that is already undergoing significant turnover.

Critics of the administration's approach argue that repeated dismissals and the threat of further cuts could damage morale and discourage talented officers from pursuing careers that lead to the top ranks. The Washington Post's reporting that hundreds of careers could be affected points to the breadth of the potential impact, extending beyond those currently serving in senior positions to those on track to reach them.

Supporters of the effort, by contrast, have framed it as a necessary streamlining of a top-heavy bureaucracy. Hegseth's earlier statements suggest he views the senior ranks as an area where duplication and layers of command can be reduced without harming the military's fighting capacity.

The timing of the announcement is also significant. The address at Quantico comes as the Pentagon manages a range of global commitments, and Reed's warning about strain on the force reflects concerns that leadership cuts could complicate those missions. The reductions are scheduled to be completed by the start of 2027, leaving a relatively short window for implementation.

The Pentagon official's decision to confirm the plan to Al Jazeera ahead of the speech indicates that the administration intends to present the move as a central element of Hegseth's "State of the Force" message. By delivering the address to junior officers and enlisted personnel, Hegseth appears to be signaling that the changes are aimed at benefiting the broader force rather than its senior leadership.

Whether Congress will seek to intervene remains an open question. Reed's statement suggests that Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee will press for details and may question whether the administration is circumventing legislative oversight by leaving positions vacant rather than formally eliminating them. The number of general officer posts is set by statute, but unfilled positions can achieve a similar effect without a vote.

For now, the expected announcement marks another chapter in a tenure defined by rapid and controversial personnel changes at the highest levels of the U.S. military. The full details of the plan are expected to emerge during Wednesday's address in Virginia, where Hegseth will lay out his vision for the force and the reductions he says are needed to streamline it.