US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the military is cutting 20% of its generals and admirals, calling the move "accountability, and long overdue" and rejecting the description of it as a "purge" used by the media. He spoke at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, in a "State of the Force" address to junior officers and enlisted leaders. It was the second year in a row he has given such a speech, which is not a usual fixture for Pentagon chiefs, who have traditionally addressed troops in small or private settings.
Hegseth said about 10% of generals and admirals had been fired, and that the number of general officer positions had been reduced by a further 10%. According to the Associated Press, he has directed the services to double the 10% reduction ordered last spring for roughly 800 flag and general officer positions, with the full 20% to be completed by January 1, 2027. The figures are not entirely clear. Pentagon data from the end of July 2026 showed 851 active-duty generals and admirals, up from 831 in May 2025, and the Pentagon declined to say whether the cuts were finished or still under way. The number of such posts is set by law, but positions can be left unfilled if no replacements are sent to Congress. Last year's orders also included a 20% cut to four-star ranks, and it is unclear whether that has been fully carried out.
The speech also covered other plans: a new four-star command to oversee autonomous and robotic systems, which Hegseth called "the fastest peacetime shift in modern military history"; a study of future warfare involving Elon Musk, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey; an Office of Religious Affairs; and a new base, for which all 50 states may compete to host 15,000 to 20,000 service members. The drone announcement follows an order for a US Army drone-warfare unit in Europe to revert to a traditional infantry battalion, which prompted a bipartisan request for an explanation from lawmakers.
The address comes as the US is seven months into a war with Iran with no clear end, and in a stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy shipping route. American forces have used hundreds of costly interceptors, and experts say contractors will need at least three years to rebuild key stockpiles. Hegseth again emphasised his campaign against "woke" culture, including rolling back diversity programmes and reviewing ground combat units that include women.
The cuts continue a wider turnover at the top of the military. Since Donald Trump returned to office, more than two dozen senior leaders have been fired or pushed out, including Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown and Army chief Gen. Randy George. Hegseth says the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants. Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said Hegseth is "purging a generation of great leaders" and that recovery would take a generation. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, of the Armed Services Committee, said trimming a top-heavy structure might have merit but that he wanted to see the reasoning first. Critics also raise concerns about politicisation of a traditionally neutral military.