Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is scheduled to deliver a State of the Force briefing Wednesday, and according to a report, he’s slashing the number of generals and admirals in the ranks.
In fact, he wants to cull the number of those with big titles by a full 20 percent.
It’s one in a line of decisions he’s made to optimize the Pentagon’s workflow and improve operational performance:
Hegseth approved reduction plans for the Army, Navy, Air Force and the military's joint pool earlier this month, according to memos seen by Fox News Digital. The services were directed to implement the plans and complete the reductions by Jan. 1, 2027.
The new target doubles the 10% overall reduction in general and flag officer positions Hegseth ordered last year as part of his effort to streamline the military's senior ranks. That earlier directive separately called for a 20% reduction in active-duty four-star positions and a 20% reduction in National Guard general officers.
EXCLUSIVE: War Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce a new 20% reduction in military positions designated for generals and admirals during Wednesday's State of the Force address, according to memos obtained by @FoxNews.
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) September 29, 2026
The move doubles last year's overall reduction target for… pic.twitter.com/umEl0ZaNZh
EXCLUSIVE: War Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce a new 20% reduction in military positions designated for generals and admirals during Wednesday's State of the Force address, according to memos obtained by @FoxNews.
The move doubles last year's overall reduction target for senior leadership positions.
Hegseth, when introducing his “Less Generals More GIs Policy” in 2025, said the reduction in upper-level positions is not meant to be punitive — it’s to make the force more lethal and effective:
“"This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers," Hegseth said when he announced the earlier reductions in May 2025. "This has been a deliberative process, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks."
Introducing the “Less Generals More GIs Policy.” pic.twitter.com/bQLRL2MqSC
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) May 5, 2025
It’s not the only big announcement the War Secretary has made in recent days — on Monday, he signed a memo directing the Cyber Command to mobilize a "whole-of-government" response to defend our elections against foreign threats to our ballot security:
"By working in lockstep with federal, state, and local partners, U.S. Cyber Command and our defense intelligence teams will defend the integrity of America's voting systems, expose foreign malign influence, and ensure our democratic processes remain secure from external manipulation while protecting the fundamental freedoms of the American people," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to use intelligence, cyber operations and advanced AI to detect and disrupt foreign interference in upcoming U.S. elections.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 28, 2026
The Sept. 22 directive tells U.S. Cyber Command and defense intelligence agencies to monitor… pic.twitter.com/Xku9g4RscV
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to use intelligence, cyber operations and advanced AI to detect and disrupt foreign interference in upcoming U.S. elections.
The Sept. 22 directive tells U.S. Cyber Command and defense intelligence agencies to monitor foreign threats, counter election-related cyberattacks and coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security.
The memo does not authorize troops at polling stations or the seizure of voting machines.
RedState will bring you more developments following Hegseth’s expected address in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday.
Editor's Note: Thanks to President Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, the warrior ethos is coming back to America's military.
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