EXCLUSIVE: Hegseth to double cuts to generals, admirals in major Pentagon shakeup

War Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce plans to reduce by 20% the number of positions reserved for generals and admirals during his State of the Force address on Wednesday.

Hegseth approved reduction plans for the Army, Navy, Air Force and the military's joint pool earlier this month, according to memos seen by Fox News Digital. The services were directed to implement the plans and complete the reductions by Jan. 1, 2027.

Wednesday's State of the Force address is expected to lay out Hegseth's priorities for the military in the year ahead, with the reduction in senior leadership positions among the changes he will unveil.

The new target doubles the 10% overall reduction in general and flag officer positions Hegseth ordered last year as part of his effort to streamline the military's senior ranks. That earlier directive separately called for a 20% reduction in active-duty four-star positions and a 20% reduction in National Guard general officers.

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Hegseth dubbed that effort "less generals, more GIs," arguing that reducing senior headquarters positions would push resources and authority toward troops closer to the fight.

The latest reductions apply to billets — positions designated for generals and admirals — rather than an across-the-board removal of 20% of the officers currently serving in those ranks, a War Department source told Fox News Digital.

At least some of the positions will be downgraded rather than eliminated altogether. In a Sept. 16 memo approving reductions to the military's joint pool, Hegseth directed officials to establish O-6 requirements for general and flag officer positions identified for downgrade, allowing colonels and Navy captains to fill those jobs.

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The announcement comes exactly one year after Hegseth summoned hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world to Quantico, Virginia, for an extraordinary gathering where he laid out his expectations for the military's senior leaders and warned those who did not support his reforms to step aside.

Hegseth has argued that reducing the number of generals and admirals would strip away unnecessary layers of bureaucracy and push authority down the chain of command.

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"This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers," Hegseth said when he announced the earlier reductions in May 2025. "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."

This year's audience will look different. Military commands have been asked to send top-performing service members who meet fitness and body-composition requirements and maintain "impeccable" grooming and uniform standards, according to published reports on internal Pentagon guidance for the event. Some troops selected to attend are also expected to participate in a workout with Hegseth.