U.S. Defense Secretary Orders Major Cuts to Top Military Ranks

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a sweeping reduction in the number of top-ranking military officers, including a 20% cut to four-star generals and admirals, as part of a broader effort to streamline the Pentagon’s leadership structure.

In a memo issued Monday, Hegseth also directed a 10% reduction in general and flag officers across the armed forces and a 20% cut in the National Guard’s general officer ranks. The move, he said, is intended to eliminate “unnecessary bureaucratic layers” and improve military efficiency.

Currently, the U.S. military has nearly 40 four-star officers—the highest rank—and more than 800 generals and admirals in total. Hegseth argued that the current ratio of one general for every 1,400 troops is excessive compared to historical norms, such as World War II, when the ratio was one per 6,000 service members.

“More generals and admirals does not equal more success,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X, titled “Fewer Generals, More GIs.” He emphasized that the cuts were not punitive but part of a “deliberated process” to enhance strategic and operational readiness.

Critics Fear Political Motivations

The decision has drawn criticism from some lawmakers and military analysts, who warn that the reductions could politicize the armed forces. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a Marine veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, accused Hegseth of creating a framework to remove dissenting officers.

“He’s creating a formal framework to fire all the generals who disagree with him—and the president,” Moulton said.

Since January, the Trump administration has dismissed several high-ranking officers, including Gen. CQ Brown Jr., the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the only two women serving as four-star officers. Other senior female officers have also been disproportionately removed.

Hegseth defended the earlier dismissals as ensuring alignment with the administration’s national security strategy.

Broader Pentagon Overhaul

The cuts coincide with the Trump administration’s push to shrink the federal workforce. The Pentagon has already been directed to reduce its civilian staff by at least 5% and implement a hiring freeze.

Hegseth has long criticized the military’s top-heavy structure, stating at his confirmation hearing that there is “an inverse relationship between the size of staffs and victory on the battlefield.”

The latest reductions will affect key leadership posts, including the heads of U.S. Africa Command, European Command, and Forces Korea, as well as the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. However, Hegseth has not yet specified which positions will be eliminated.

The overhaul comes amid heightened turbulence at the Pentagon, where multiple senior officials—including the heads of the Navy, Coast Guard, and National Security Agency—have been dismissed in recent months.

As the changes take effect, the debate over balancing military efficiency with institutional independence is likely to intensify.