U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pushing to cut the number of general and flag officer positions in the U.S. military by 20%.
Citing sources, the Associated Press and other U.S. media reported on the 29th of last month that Hegseth plans to direct the Army, Navy, Air Force and other services to expand the reduction in general and flag officer billets to 20% from the previously planned 10%. The military has roughly 800 such positions in total, and the cuts are targeted for completion by Jan. 1.
The measure focuses on eliminating the positions themselves rather than dismissing 20% of general officers outright. Some general officer billets are expected to be abolished, while others would be downgraded so that colonels can fill them.
President Donald Trump and Hegseth have pressed ahead with an overhaul of the military's senior leadership since taking office. More than 20 senior officers have already left the military since Trump's inauguration. In April this year, Army Chief of Staff Randy George was dismissed. The departures of female officers drew particular attention, with both of the only two women serving as four-star generals also removed.
Hegseth last year ordered a 10% cut in all general and flag officer positions, along with separate 20% reductions in active-duty four-star general billets and in National Guard general officer positions. He has said the reductions in senior posts are intended to trim redundant command structures and bureaucracy and to streamline the chain of command. The plan also aims to shift personnel and resources concentrated in general officer headquarters toward front-line forces. In a memo released in May last year, he said the goal was "to remove unnecessary bureaucratic layers."
In a speech, Hegseth vowed to end what he called "woke" culture, a reference to political correctness. He also set a goal of tightening physical fitness standards for service members.
According to the AP, the number of general and flag officer positions in the U.S. military is set by law, but the posts can be left vacant by not asking Congress to confirm successors. Tensions have been building between Hegseth and Congress. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican, has filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth, taking issue with his management of the Defense Department and his handling of the war with Iran.
Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also warned that "eliminating senior commander positions must go through consultation with Congress," saying the reduction plan is something "every American should be concerned about."
