U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to announce a 20 percent reduction in positions reserved for generals and admirals, doubling an earlier target as the Pentagon continues an overhaul of senior military leadership.
Pentagon officials said the reduction would apply to roughly 800 flag and general officer positions across the military services and is scheduled to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027.
Hegseth is expected to detail the plan Wednesday during his “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
The new target doubles the 10 percent reduction Hegseth ordered last year and could affect officers holding the rank of one-star general or above, as well as equivalent Navy ranks.
Last year, Hegseth also directed the active-duty military to reduce its four-star general officers by 20 percent and ordered a similar reduction in top National Guard positions, although it remains unclear whether those reductions have been completed.
Hegseth has previously said the broader effort is intended to remove redundant structures and streamline military leadership.
In a May 2025 memo, he said the changes were aimed at eliminating “unnecessary bureaucratic layers.”
The planned reduction follows significant turnover among senior military officials since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
Trump or Hegseth have fired or pushed into retirement more than two dozen military leaders, including Gen. Randy George, the Army’s top uniformed officer, in April.
The administration also dismissed the only two women then serving as four-star officers, while other senior officials have departed through retirement or resignation.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said changes involving senior military leadership should be undertaken in consultation with Congress.
Reed said lawmakers had sought explanations from Hegseth regarding senior officer removals and promotion holds but had not received satisfactory answers.
He also argued that eliminating senior positions could increase pressure on a military already conducting major operations worldwide.
The number of general officer positions is established by law, but positions can remain vacant when the administration does not submit nominees to Congress.
The latest plan would therefore deepen an ongoing restructuring of the military’s highest ranks while adding to existing disagreements between Hegseth and lawmakers over Pentagon leadership decisions.