In a surprising move, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a significant assembly of general officers and admirals to convene at the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia next Tuesday. According to five U.S. officials, this gathering could involve hundreds of the military's most senior leaders, although the exact reasons for this meeting remain unclear.
This upcoming meeting is notable for its size and scope, marking a rare occasion when a large number of general officers based both stateside and overseas will convene in one location, with the presence of the Defense Secretary. Such gatherings are uncommon and have raised eyebrows among military officials. This meeting comes just months after Hegseth initiated a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers and also dismissed 15 senior military leaders, including General Charles CQ Brown, Jr., the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's top admiral.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that the Secretary of War, as Hegseth is informally referred to following a recent executive order by President Donald Trump to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War, will address his senior military leaders early next week. Notably, a formal change to the department's nomenclature would require congressional approval.
As of June, there are a total of 838 active-duty general officers and admirals, with 446 in the higher two-star, three-star, and four-star ranks, according to the latest Pentagon statistics. It remains unclear whether all general and flag officers are invited to this meeting or if it will be limited to a specific subset of high-ranking officials.
The Washington Post was the first to report on this extraordinary gathering. While it is not uncommon for a defense secretary to meet with senior military officers at the Pentagon or during domestic and overseas travels, the size of this particular assembly raises security concerns for planners. Additionally, speculation has arisen regarding whether this meeting is related to Hegseth's ongoing efforts to reduce the number of officers serving as generals or admirals.
In May, Secretary Hegseth issued a memorandum directing a minimum 20% reduction in the number of four-star generals and admirals across the active-duty force. He also called for similar reductions in the National Guard and a 10% decrease in general and flag officers affiliated with combatant commands. In a video accompanying the memo, Hegseth referred to this initiative as the Less Generals More GIs Policy. He emphasized that these measures aim to foster innovation and operational excellence by eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic layers that impede growth and effectiveness.
Hegseth underscored the importance of removing redundant force structures to optimize and streamline leadership within the military. This drastic shift in military structure could have significant implications for the future of U.S. defense operations.
