War Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to ax 20% of the general and admiral slots in the U.S. military, fulfilling a promise he made back in May to chop 10% of general and flag officer billets.
War Secretary Hegseth will announce the force structure changes in his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., on Wednesday, and he plans to deliver a message to junior officers and enlisted personnel on how he plans to build a leaner and more lethal military force.
These cuts will include billets – or positions – for generals and flag officers across the Army, Navy, Air Force and the military’s joint structure, according to Fox News. Some positions will be axed entirely, while others will be downgraded to a lesser rank. All of the services will be required to complete the changes by January 1, 2027.
The new number will double the amount of the reduction Secretary Hegseth ordered in May 2025 to cut 10% of general and flag officers in the Department of War and a reduction of 20% in general officers in the National Guard.
Hegseth argues that cutting General and Flag Officer billets will allow the Department of War to take resources that are currently used to support “bloated” headquarters elements and put them to use supporting warfighters — “less Generals, more GIs.”
Hegseth has been on a rampage through the Pentagon since taking over at the Department of War, removing uniformed and civilian leaders from their posts. Some 20 or so have been forced into retirement in the last few months.
This list includes Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus, who retired in February; Navy Secretary John Phelan, who was removed in April after Hegseth expressed disagreement with him over shipbuilding policy; and Army Europe and Africa Commander Gen. Christopher Donahue, who retired in July.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced his resignation on August 31 after months of disagreements with Hegseth over Army modernization efforts and the removal of senior military leaders.
It is clear Hegseth plans to continue reorganizing the uniformed services, and he wants to do it by January 1, 2027. The services will have little time to implement these changes.
This is promising! Let’s hope 20% is enough to weaken the influence of “the Blob” on our military! ❤️🇺🇸❤️