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The US defence secretary is expected to announce a 20% reduction in posts reserved for generals and admirals, with changes due by January.
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US defence secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to announce a 20% reduction in positions reserved for generals and admirals during an address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday 30 September. The Pentagon confirmed the planned announcement to the Associated Press. [1]
The 20% figure is a total target, doubling an earlier goal to reduce senior-officer posts by 10%. The changes are due to be completed by 1 January 2027. AP put the number of general and flag officer positions across the military at roughly 800. [1]
Fox News reported that Hegseth had already approved plans for the Army, Navy, Air Force and a pool of joint military posts, citing memoranda it had seen. The reduction concerns posts designated for one- to four-star officers, rather than a blanket dismissal of 20% of serving generals and admirals. Some posts would be abolished; others would be reassigned to lower-ranked officers. The precise balance between those changes remains unclear. [2] [3]
Hegseth has presented the cuts as a way to remove bureaucratic layers. Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned that reducing senior roles could strain the military and disrupt continuity of command. [1]
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