Pentagon to Cut 20% of General and Admiral Positions

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to announce on Wednesday that the Pentagon will cut 20% of positions reserved for generals and admirals, doubling a reduction he ordered last year. The move is part of a broader effort to shrink the military's senior ranks, according to two U.S. officials.

Hegseth is expected to make the announcement during a "State of the Force" address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. This address will outline his agenda for the force in the coming year. The new target doubles the 10% overall reduction in general and admiral positions he ordered in 2025.

Last year, Hegseth's speech at Quantico also addressed declining standards within the military, calling for an end to what he described as "beardos," "fat generals," and "dudes in dresses," along with a critique of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices and identity months.

At that time, all military personnel were directed to watch a video of his speech. This year, commanders across the services have been asked to nominate mostly junior and mid-ranking troops to attend the address. These nominees are expected to include high-performing service members recognized for achievements or military competition wins, and must also be in compliance with military fitness and body fat standards.

It remains unclear how the new cuts will be implemented or if such a significant reduction would impact daily military operations, especially amid the ongoing Iran war. The services have already been reducing the number of senior officers through measures such as consolidating commands, allowing some positions previously held by two generals or admirals to be overseen by one.

The cuts may also involve downgrading some commands to a lower level or shutting down different parts of the military. The services have been directed to complete these reductions to the most senior ranks, which could affect dozens of roles by January. Currently, there are 841 active-duty flag officers.

This initiative follows a series of removals of senior military leaders under Hegseth, including Gen. Randy George, former chief of staff of the Army; Gen. CQ Brown, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, former chief of naval operations. Before leaving the administration in September, then-Army Secretary Dan Driscoll reportedly warned the White House that Hegseth's actions were thinning the Army's leadership ranks, potentially leaving the service with a smaller pool of experienced officers for future senior commands.