Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed Pentagon leaders to cut about 20% of billets reserved for four‑star generals and admirals, according to multiple news reports and Pentagon documents reviewing the plan.
The proposed reduction is part of a wider push to reshape senior leadership and would affect positions reserved for the military’s most senior officers, Reuters reported citing two U.S. officials who said the cuts would downgrade or eliminate some jobs rather than immediately remove serving officers.
The move follows an earlier Pentagon memorandum titled “General/Flag Officer Reductions,” posted on the Defense Department website in May 2025, which directed cuts in senior ranks; that memo itself called for reductions in four‑star billets while also seeking broader savings through an overall trimming of general and flag officers.
Officials told Reuters that some future jobs would be downgraded in rank and that the 20% target focuses on billets reserved for four‑star officers rather than an immediate, wholesale removal of serving admirals and generals.
Analysts and military outlets have framed the plan as a structural realignment rather than a personnel purge. The 2025 Defense Department memorandum posted on media.defense.gov described the initiative as a recalibration of billets and referenced realignment of the Unified Command Plan as an additional pathway for reductions.
Experts and reporting note the proposal doubles earlier targets Hegseth set in 2025. The Washington Post and other outlets reported the expected announcement ahead of Hegseth’s State of the Force remarks, saying the new cuts would deepen previously ordered reductions and aim to streamline headquarters and joint staffs.
Defense reporting indicates implementation would likely reclassify some billets to lower ranks and consolidate functions, rather than force immediate retirements of sitting four‑star officers; Reuters said details on timing and which commands would change were still being worked out.
What this means for force structure and command capacity depends on how billets are downgraded and whether Congress or service leaders push back. Past reporting on the 2025 memorandum shows the department has used billet realignment and the Unified Command Plan to reduce senior positions without abrupt removals, according to the posted memo.
For readers tracking this through earlier coverage, the site has related reporting on Hegseth’s personnel directives and public appearances that provide background on his management approach and prior orders.
Sources
- Reuters — reported that Hegseth plans a 20% cut in general and admiral billets and that some jobs would be downgraded rather than immediately eliminated.
- U.S. Department of Defense (media.defense.gov) — published the May 5, 2025 “Memorandum Directing General and Flag Officer Reductions,” which outlines prior reductions and realignment mechanisms.
- Washington Post — reported Hegseth’s expected announcement and placed the new target in the context of earlier cuts and planned State of the Force remarks.
- Fox News — published reporting that Hegseth will announce a 20% reduction in positions reserved for generals and admirals.
