Hegseth says 'lean and mean' military requires cutting officers

Courtney McBride, Bloomberg News on May 5, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a reduction of the U.S. military’s highest-ranking officers — potentially setting up a clash with Congress, which must approve any such adjustments.

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth called for slashing 20% of four-star positions in the active-duty military, 20% of all general officers in the National Guard, and a further reduction by at least 10% of generals and admirals.

“More generals and admirals does not equal more success,” Hegseth said in a video posted to social media Monday afternoon while clarifying that “this is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers.” He added the proposed changes were the result of “a deliberative process” done in coordination with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and intended to maximize the military’s preparedness for and effectiveness in a potential conflict.

He described a phased approach that would first address the current structure of the military, then conduct “a strategic review of the Unified Command Plan” that helps to organize military operations and responsibilities around the world.

“It’s going to be done carefully, but it’s going to be done expeditiously,” Hegseth said of the review, which he predicted would rival the 1986 reorganization of the Defense Department directed by Congress. “We confront an evolving threat environment. We cannot afford to wait.”

Hegseth has long criticized what he sees as redundancy and inefficiency at the senior levels of the Pentagon.

As part of a broad overhaul of the Army, the secretary directed the service to stop buying certain aircraft and ground vehicles and to consolidate several commands, potentially clearing the way to eliminating some four-star general positions.

In Monday’s video, Hegseth dubbed the policy directive, “less generals, more GIs,” saying the military had to be “lean and mean” to face the challenges ahead.

“We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters,” Hegseth said, adding that in World War II, the American armed forces of 12 million troops was led by 17 four- and five-star officers.

“Today, we have 2.1 million service members, with 44 four-star” generals and admirals, he said.

There were 37 total four-star officers as of September 2023, according to a March 2024 report by the Congressional Research Service.

Several senior officers hold multiple positions simultaneously — for example, the head of U.S. European Command is also NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe. One four-star officer serves simultaneously as commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea.

Hegseth’s plan may face scrutiny in Congress, which according to the congressional website “has enacted an array of laws that govern important aspects of military officer personnel management, including appointments, assignments, grade structure, promotions, and separations.”

The Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday evening.

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(With assistance from Ryan Chua and Roxana Tiron.)