US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce a 20 per cent cut in the number of positions for generals and admirals when he speaks with hundreds of junior service members at Quantico, Virginia, two US officials told Reuters yesterday.
Hegseth will give a speech today in front of hundreds of junior officers and enlisted officials, updating them on his priorities for the military.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Hegseth would say that he plans to cut the billets for general and flag officers by 20pc. Those are one- to four-star generals and admirals. That is an increase from the minimum 10pc cut Hegseth laid out last year.
Rather than firing people, one of the officials said, the rank of some future jobs would change while billets for others would be cancelled.
Hegseth has moved quickly to reshape the department, firing senior officers across the military and dealing with niche personnel issues. Last year, he ordered a 20pc reduction in the number of four-star officers.
The event today comes a year after Hegseth slammed ‘fat generals’ and diversity initiatives in front of US military generals and admirals during a speech at Quantico. Last year, US President Donald Trump also delivered an address at Quantico and floated the idea of using deployments to US cities ‘as training grounds for our military.’ The remarks by Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, and Trump, a former reality television star, resembled a TV format, as top military officials were summoned on short notice.
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