WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning to announce further cuts to the number of generals and admirals serving in the military in an address set for Wednesday, the Pentagon confirmed.
According to Pentagon officials, Hegseth will direct all the military services to double the 10% reduction that he ordered last spring to the roughly 800 flag and general officer positions, making it a 20% total decrease to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027.
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President Donald Trump or Hegseth already have fired or pushed to retire more than two dozen military leaders since taking office, including the Army's top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, in April. They also have fired the only two women serving as four-star officers, as well as a disproportionate number of other senior female officers.
Hegseth plans to make the announcement in a speech to troops at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, the second year in a row he will deliver what the Pentagon is calling his “State of the Force” address. Fox News earlier reported the new reductions, which could include any one-star general or above or officer of equivalent Navy rank.
As part of last year's cuts, Hegseth also ordered the active duty military to shed 20% of its four-star general officers — the highest-level leader — and the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions, but it is unclear if all those cuts have been made.
Hegseth gathered all the military's generals and admirals at the same time last year for an address in which he declared an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness.
However, that speech was overshadowed by the attendance of President Donald Trump, who proposed using American cities as training grounds for the armed forces and spoke of needing U.S. military might to combat what he called the “invasion from within.”
When Hegseth first announced the effort to trim the highest levels of the military ranks, he argued it was intended to remove “redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership.” In a memo released in May 2025, he said the aim was to free the military from “unnecessary bureaucratic layers.”
The number of general officer positions in the military is set by law, but it is possible to let positions remain unfilled by not submitting replacements to Congress.
Hegseth's relationship with Congress is already strained, and he faces articles of impeachment from a Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, over his leadership of the Pentagon and management of the Iran war.
Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said eliminating senior leadership positions must be done 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 in a statement.
“Our military is conducting major operations around the world, and the force is already under strain," he added. "Eliminating senior positions and leaders now will add to that strain and disrupt command when continuity matters most."
