What We Know About Hegseth's New Cuts to Military's Top Brass

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to order a 20% cut to positions reserved for generals and admirals, doubling a 10% reduction he directed in 2025, according to two U.S. officials cited by ABC News. Hegseth is expected to announce the target Wednesday during a "State of the Force" address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

What is Hegseth expected to announce?

The Wednesday speech will lay out Hegseth's agenda for the force over the coming year, officials told ABC News. It follows a September 2025 Quantico address in which Hegseth summoned top commanders from around the world and ordered the initial 10% reduction in flag-officer positions.

How many positions are affected?

• 20%: new target for cuts to general and admiral positions, per two U.S. officials.
• 10%: the reduction Hegseth ordered in 2025, which the new target doubles.
• 841: active-duty flag officers currently serving, according to ABC News.
• The services have been directed to complete cuts to the most senior ranks — potentially dozens of roles — by January, one official said.

How would the reductions actually happen?

ABC News reports the services have already trimmed senior-officer ranks partly by consolidating commands, allowing a single general or admiral to oversee positions once split between two officers. Additional cuts could downgrade a command to a lower level rather than eliminate it outright, or shut down parts of the military entirely. The reporting does not specify which commands or services would see the deepest reductions.

What's the timeline?

Services have been told to finish cuts to the most senior positions by January, one official said, though ABC News notes it remains unclear exactly how the reductions will be carried out.

Why is this happening amid the Iran war?

ABC News states it is unclear whether a reduction of this scale would disrupt day-to-day military operations while the U.S. is engaged in the Iran war. The reporting does not detail how the Pentagon plans to manage that risk, and officials did not offer additional operational specifics.

What happened at last year's Quantico speech?

Hegseth's 2025 address to the same gathering focused heavily on standards and culture-war themes, telling assembled generals and admirals there would be "no more beardos" and "no more fat generals," and declaring "no more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses," according to ABC News. The Pentagon directed all troops to watch video of that speech afterward.

For this year's event, commanders across the services were asked to nominate mostly junior and mid-ranking troops — including high performers recognized for achievements or competition wins — rather than senior leaders, officials familiar with the matter told ABC News. Nominees must meet military fitness and body-fat standards required for official travel and event attendance.

The cuts follow what ABC News describes as a broader purge of the military's senior ranks under Hegseth, who has fired or sidelined a string of top officers, including Gen. Randy George, removed as the Army's top officer, and Gen. CQ Brown, without publicly detailing his rationale in each case.