Hegseth to cut 20 percent of admirals, generals in major Pentagon overhaul

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce a 20 percent cut to slots slated for admirals and generals at the Pentagon as part of his push to overhaul the outlook of the department, two Pentagon officials confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.

The Defense secretary will publicize the reductions, which will affect senior leadership positions across the Army, Navy and the Air Force, on Wednesday during his State of the Force address in Quantico, Va., the officials said.

The Pentagon chief will address junior officers and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps base, where he will outline his priorities for the Pentagon in the coming months, including the major leadership shake-up.

The new push from the Defense secretary comes after he looked to cut the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the U.S. military by at least 10 percent last year.

In May 2025, Hegseth directed Pentagon leadership to cut the number of general officers in the National Guard by at least 20 percent and slash the total number of general and flag officers — those with a one-star rank or above — by 10 percent.

The Pentagon chief’s May order said he wanted “Less Generals, more GIs” and to “shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters.”

Hegseth argued at the time the reductions were critical to remove “redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.”

The forthcoming announcement was first reported by Fox News Digital. The service branches are requested to implement the cuts by Jan. 1, while some positions will be downgraded instead of slashed, according to memos reviewed by Fox.

The Pentagon is requiring troops to meet waist-to-height requirements and exhibit “impeccable” grooming standards to attend Hegseth’s speech on Wednesday.

The upcoming leadership cuts come as Hegseth has fired or pushed out more than two dozen military leaders across the military branches since taking the leading role at the Pentagon, personnel moves that have unnerved congressional lawmakers in both parties .

In July, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she was concerned by the removal of senior military officers and blocking promotions of lower-ranked personnel.

“I find this deeply troubling,” Collins said during a hearing . “These are men and women who volunteered to serve our country and swore an oath to support and defend our Constitution.”

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said during an April hearing that Hegseth’s firing of Gen. Randy George, the U.S. Army’s former chief of staff, would have a “chilling effect” on the way the armed services operate.

The Pentagon chief has also blocked promotions of officers slated for promotion to one- and two-star generals, saying that military leaders serve at the pleasure of the president.