Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce another round of cuts to the military’s top ranks on Wednesday. The Pentagon plans to cut 20% of the positions reserved for generals and admirals, according to multiple reports.
Hegseth is set to lay out the plan during his “State of the Force” address at 3 p.m. Eastern time at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. The new cuts are expected to be completed by January 1.
Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™
Point phone camera here
At least some of the positions are expected to be downgraded rather than eliminated altogether, according to Fox News. The outlet reports that Hegseth directed officials in a Sept. 16 memo to establish O-6 requirements for general and flag officer positions identified for downgrades. O-6 is the rank of colonel in the Army, Air Force, Space Force and Marine Corps, and captain in the Navy and Coast Guard.
Hegseth doubles previous target
The new target doubles the overall 10% reduction in general and flag officer positions that Hegseth ordered last year as part of his push to streamline the military’s senior ranks. In that order, he separately mandated a 20% reduction in active-duty four-star positions, as well as a 20% reduction in National Guard general officers.
In a statement at the time, Hegseth said the cuts were needed to “drive innovation and operational excellence,” arguing that “unnecessary bureaucratic layers” were hurting the military’s effectiveness.
As of July, there were 851 active-duty generals and admirals across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force.
