US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered a 20 per cent reduction in the number of four-star generals and admirals, in a move aimed at streamlining the military’s command structure and aligning it more closely with President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.
The decision, detailed in a memo first reported by Reuters and later confirmed by the Department of Defense, also includes a 10pc cut in general and flag officers across the armed forces and a 20pc reduction among general officers in the National Guard.
“This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers,” Hegseth said in a video statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. “This has been a deliberated process… with one goal: maximising strategic readiness and operational effectiveness.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and vocal critic of what he has called “bloated military leadership,” cited the disproportionate ratio of generals to enlisted troops, noting that during World War II there was one general for every 6,000 troops—compared to one for every 1,400 today.
Since taking over the Pentagon at the outset of Trump’s second term, Hegseth has moved swiftly to overhaul the military’s top leadership. Within months, he has removed several senior commanders including General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Chief of Naval Operations. The director of the National Security Agency was also dismissed in recent weeks.
While the memo did not list specific positions to be eliminated, officials said ongoing reviews could lead to the consolidation of key combatant commands. Possibilities include merging US Africa Command with US European Command, and combining US Southern Command with US Northern Command—each of which could eliminate at least one four-star billet.
Among the 38 active four-star generals and admirals are the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, as well as commanders of major geographic operations, including US Forces Korea and Pacific Army Command.
The move has drawn criticism from some lawmakers, including Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who accused Hegseth of undermining military readiness without sufficient analysis.
“Tough personnel decisions should be based on facts and analysis, not arbitrary percentages,” Reed said in a statement. “Eliminating the positions of many of our most skilled and experienced officers without sound justification would not create efficiency in the military – it could cripple it.”
The Pentagon has also seen a string of civilian dismissals in recent weeks. Three top aides were fired amid an internal leak investigation, including Dan Caldwell, a close confidant of Hegseth, and deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick. Both were reportedly escorted from the building after being implicated in the probe—allegations they have denied.
The personnel reductions form part of a broader push by the Trump administration to reduce the size of the federal government and eliminate what it views as entrenched bureaucracies resistant to change. Hegseth has also expressed his intent to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes within the military, which he has labelled as “discriminatory.”
At his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, Hegseth suggested there was “an inverse relationship between the size of staffs and success on the battlefield.” His current reform agenda appears to be rooted in that belief, with the Pentagon now preparing for what officials describe as “careful but expeditious” implementation of the cuts.
It remains to be seen how the changes will impact US military operations abroad, particularly in regions where four-star commands play a central role in shaping US policy and deterrence posture. However, sources familiar with the review say the goal is not to reduce the US global footprint, but to make leadership structures more agile and efficient.
