U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to announce a 20 percent reduction in the number of positions for generals and admirals across the military, according to a Pentagon official. The announcement is expected to be made Wednesday during Hegseth’s “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
The plan expands on a directive from last year that ordered a 10 percent cut to the approximately 800 flag and general officer positions. According to reports from The Associated Press, which cited Pentagon officials, this new directive doubles the reduction and sets a completion date of January 1, 2027. The cuts would apply to all one-star generals, or officers of the equivalent Navy rank, and above.
When the initial reduction was announced in 2025, Secretary Hegseth stated the goal was to “remove redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership.” In a May 2025 memo, he added that the objective was to free the military from “unnecessary bureaucratic layers.”
This policy follows a period of significant personnel changes within the military’s senior leadership. Since January 2025, more than two dozen senior military leaders have been fired or have retired. Notable departures include Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in April and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who resigned this month citing disagreements with Hegseth.
The planned reductions have drawn a response from Congress. Senator Jack Reed, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement expressing concern.
“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.”
While the total number of general officer positions is set by law, the administration can effectively reduce the number of serving officers by choosing not to submit nominations to Congress for vacant positions.
