US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the military will cut 20 per cent of its generals and admirals, speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia in what he called his "state of the force" address. CBC News reported that Hegseth directed all military services to double the 10 per cent reduction he ordered last spring for roughly 800 flag and general officer positions, bringing the total reduction to 20 per cent, to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027. The New York Post, reporting before the address and citing a department official, said Hegseth was expected to unveil the plan, that it covers the Air Force, Army and Navy, and that he had already approved it earlier this month; Fox News first reported the plans, according to the Post. CBC reported that Pentagon officials had previewed further cuts to the number of generals and admirals.
Hegseth announces 20 per cent cut to US general and admiral posts
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the military will cut 20 per cent of its generals and admirals, speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia in what he called his "state of the force" address. CBC News reported that Hegseth directed all military services to double the 10 per cent reduction he ordered last spring for roughly 800 flag and general officer positions, bringing the total reduction to 20 per cent, to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027. The New York Post, reporting before the address and citing a department official, said Hegseth was expected to unveil the plan, that it covers the Air Force, Army and Navy, and that he had already approved it earlier this month; Fox News first reported the plans, according to the Post. CBC reported that Pentagon officials had previewed further cuts to the number of generals and admirals.
Hegseth described the reductions as "accountability and long overdue," according to CBC News. The Post reported that last year Hegseth ordered a 10 per cent reduction in general and flag officer positions, along with a 20 per cent cut in National Guard general officers and active-duty four-star positions. CBC News reported the original 10 per cent reduction was ordered last spring for roughly 800 flag and general officer positions, and that it applied across the military services.
The Post quoted Hegseth's remarks from last year's address: "This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers," and "This has been a deliberative process, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks." The Post also reported he called for "less generals, more GIs," and that he argued the reductions were needed to streamline the military and give personnel closer to the battlefield more authority.
CBC News reported that Hegseth announced the creation of a new four-star command to oversee the rollout of autonomous and robotic capabilities, which he described as "the fastest peacetime shift in modern military history." That announcement came a month after officials said an Army unit based in Europe that specialised in drone warfare had been directed to return to being a traditional infantry battalion, ending its work on that technology, according to CBC News. CBC News reported that a bipartisan group of US lawmakers subsequently asked the Army to explain the order.
CBC News reported that Hegseth again led with his restructuring of the military by targeting what he calls "woke" culture, including a rollback of diversity programs, a review of ground combat units with female troops and a new screening program for "testosterone deficiency" among male personnel. The Post reported he has rolled out new waist-to-height and grooming rules, has purged more than two dozen top officials during his tenure, which has drawn congressional scrutiny, and has criticised what it described as "fat generals" and "beardos."
On the format of the address, CBC News reported that such a speech is not a usual fixture among Pentagon leaders, noting that while Hegseth's predecessors regularly addressed troops and top officers, they traditionally did so in small or private settings. The Post reported that the summoning of top military brass to Quantico last year was an unusual move that had "spooked critics and observers."
CBC News reported that the address took place while the US military is seven months into a war with Iran with no clear end in sight, and that during the same period the US has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and killed more than 200 people in strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in Latin America, among other actions worldwide.
Where sources differ
- CBC News reports that Hegseth confirmed the 20 per cent cut on Wednesday during the address. The New York Post, reporting before the address, said he was "eyeing" the reduction and was expected to unveil the plans, citing a department official.
- CBC News says the original 10 per cent reduction was ordered "last spring." The Post describes it as an order made "last year."
- CBC News says Hegseth directed the doubling of the reduction during Wednesday's address. The Post says he had already approved the plan earlier this month.
- CBC News reports the reduction applies to roughly 800 flag and general officer positions. The Post does not give a number for the positions affected but states the cut spans the Air Force, Army and Navy.
- Neither source states how many individual generals and admirals will be removed, or provides a current total of flag and general officer positions beyond CBC News's figure of roughly 800.
- No breakdown of the reduction by service branch, rank or position is provided; the Post names the Air Force, Army and Navy without numbers, and CBC News gives no service-level detail.
- No serving general, admiral, service chief or other affected officer is quoted or reported to have responded to the announcement.
- The Army is not reported to have responded to the bipartisan lawmakers' request for an explanation of the order returning the Europe-based drone warfare unit to a traditional infantry battalion.
- No independent confirmation of the plans is reported beyond an unnamed department official cited by the Post and Fox News, which the Post says first reported the plans.
- No budget, cost-saving or readiness figures associated with the reductions are provided.
- CBC News's account of the new four-star autonomous systems command is incomplete, and neither source details its structure, leadership or timeline.
- Neither source establishes whether the 20 per cent target applies to the same roughly 800 positions cited by CBC News, or how the Jan. 1, 2027 completion date will be enforced.
- CBC News — original
- New York Post — by Ryan King