Hegseth orders 20% cut to top military ranks
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Quezon City, Philippines, in March. Photo: Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a reduction in the number of military generals and admirals by at least 20%, per a memorandum published Monday.
The big picture: Hegseth wants a minimum 20% cut to the number of four-star positions across the military's active component and the same for general officers in the National Guard to cut "redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership," per the memo.
- An additional minimum 10% reduction in general and flag officers would be required in the second phase.
- The announcement comes after President Trump fired Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr. and other top military leaders in February.
What they're saying: "My title is 'Less Generals More GIs,'" Hegseth said in a video posted to X about the overhaul.
- "We're going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our war fighters," Hegseth said of the changes, which he described as "historic."
Between the lines: While some Trump administration cuts have been met with criticism, there's long been complaints about the military being too top heavy, Axios' Colin Demarest notes.
- Advocates for reductions have cited the differences in the number of the U.S. military's senior-most ranks compared with World War II — a point Hegseth picked up on during his announcement.
Zoom in: Hegseth noted that the U.S. had some 12 million troops during World War II, with 17 four- and five-star generals. "Today, we have a 2.1 million service members, with 44 four-star [generals] and flag officers," he said.
- "This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers," Hegseth added.
- "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 other side: Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a media statement expressed skepticism about the action.
- "I have always advocated for efficiency at the Department of Defense, but tough personnel decisions should be based on facts and analysis, not arbitrary percentages," Reed said. "Eliminating the positions of many of our most skilled and experienced officers without sound justification would not create 'efficiency' in the military — it could cripple it."
Go deeper: Trump wants $1 trillion for Pentagon
