Washington (TDI): US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a sweeping reduction in senior military leadership, directing the Pentagon to cut the number of four-star generals and admirals by at least 20 percent.
As of 2023, there were thirty-seven active four-star officers across the military.
Hegseth’s order also includes a 20 percent reduction in National Guard general officers and a 10 percent cut in total general and flag officers—nearly nine hundred personnel ranked one star or higher, according to US media.
The memo terms the cut as necessary to get rid of redundant force structure and ensure strategic preparedness.
Hegseth believes that a heavy top brass hampers performance in the battlefield as well as leadership efficiency.
“More generals and admirals does not lead to more success,” he said in a statement, adding the reforms are not punitive but necessary.
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The decision to cut the higher post comes amid broader strategy by President Donald Trump to streamline federal agencies and reform the Department of Defense.
Hegseth has swiftly acted to align Pentagon management with Trump’s national security policy.
He has already sacked several top officials such as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Navy’s top admiral.
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Further reforms may include the unification of combatant commands like US African Command and US European Command to abolish additional four-star positions.
Hegseth insists the reforms will be implemented cautiously but expeditiously, though specific posts targeted for abolition remain undisclosed.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
