US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to reduce the number of positions reserved for generals and admirals in the US military by 20 percent, according to a Pentagon official.
The planned reduction will affect senior leadership positions across the US Army, Navy and Air Force. Hegseth is expected to announce the decision on Wednesday during his “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
According to reports by the Associated Press, Hegseth will direct the military services to double the 10 percent reduction he ordered last year among roughly 800 flag and general officer positions. The overall reduction is expected to reach 20 percent and be completed by January 1, 2027.
Fox News reported that the cuts could affect officers holding the rank of one-star general or higher, as well as officers of equivalent rank in the Navy.
The Washington Post reported that the move could affect hundreds of current and prospective senior military leaders, following the dismissal of several senior officers and the blocking of a number of promotions.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, Trump or Hegseth have fired or pushed into retirement more than two dozen senior military leaders. The departures have included the Army’s top uniformed officer, General Randy George, who was dismissed in April.
The administration has also removed the two women serving as four-star officers, along with several other senior female military officials. Other senior officials have left through retirement or resignation, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who resigned this month following reported disagreements with Hegseth.
When Hegseth initially announced plans to reduce the number of senior military positions, he said the objective was to remove redundant structures and streamline military leadership. In a May 2025 memorandum, he said the changes were intended to eliminate what he described as unnecessary bureaucratic layers.
However, Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed concern about the latest plan.
Reed said senior leadership reductions should be carried out in consultation with Congress, arguing that lawmakers had requested explanations regarding senior officer removals and promotion holds.
He also said the US military was conducting major operations around the world while the force was already under strain.
The number of general officer positions in the US military is established by law. However, positions can remain vacant if the administration does not submit nominees to Congress.
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