Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to announce a 20 percent cut to general and admiral positions across the U.S. military during his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. The planned leadership overhaul aims to remove roughly 170 senior billets by Jan. 1.
State of the Force Address at Quantico
A Pentagon official informed CBS News that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to request a 20% reduction in generals and admirals throughout the American armed forces. This major leadership shake-up and his upcoming strategic priorities for the coming months will be presented during a rare address to enlisted leaders and junior officers scheduled for Wednesday at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
The upcoming leadership cuts would remove about 170 active-duty generals and admirals from chains of command. This reduction would leave roughly 680 officers in charge of key military organizations around the globe, according to public military personnel data and Pentagon officials.
Implementation Plans and Billet Reductions
Federal law caps the number at 857, authorizing a total of active-duty general and admiral billets across the department, with 851 of those jobs filled as of July. Under the expected directive, the service branches are requested to implement the cuts by Jan. 1.
Some positions will be downgraded or demoted instead of slashed to be filled by colonels and Navy captains, while others will be cut altogether. The service branches affected will include senior leadership positions across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as those in joint roles.
Prior Reductions and Bureaucratic Rationale
Precisely one year after Hegseth gathered hundreds of global admirals and generals at Quantico to condemn the Defense Department’s “wokestandards and
toxic leaders,” Wednesday’s speech is set to take place. Previously, Hegseth ordered the active-duty force to slash 20% of its roughly 40 four-star generals alongside 10% of its nearly 800 officers holding one to three-star ranks, in addition to cutting 20% of the approximately 700 generals in the National Guard. Pentagon leadership was further instructed by Hegseth in May 2025 to reduce National Guard general officers by a minimum of 20 percent while cutting the overall count of flag and general officers—comprising those at the one-star level and higher—by 10 percent.
“removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.”
Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary
In previous memos and a one-page memo posted on the Defense Department’s website, Hegseth stated he wanted Less Generals, more GIs
and to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters.
He argued that the military must be unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness
and that the cuts would drive innovation and operational excellence.
Congressional Pushback and Firing of Senior Leaders
The forthcoming leadership changes follow a period of intense friction between the Pentagon chief and congressional lawmakers. Since Hegseth took office as defense secretary, at least 20 civilian defense leaders, admirals, and generals have either resigned or been dismissed, a group that includes the top uniformed officials from the Army, Navy, and Air Force as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Two civilian posts—the Navy and Army secretaries—have also been impacted, and Hegseth has either fired or prevented the promotion of over 80 admirals and generals following his January 2025 arrival as the top civilian appointee at the Pentagon.
Troops wishing to attend Wednesday’s speech by Hegseth must satisfy strict waist-to-height criteria and present “impeccable” grooming, according to Pentagon mandates. Meanwhile, the upcoming leadership cuts come as Republicans in Congress back the Army secretary amid a clash with Hegseth, and the story was updated to add a comment from Sen. Jack Reed.