Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has now reportedly ordered hundreds of America’s most senior military officers to gather at Marine Corps Base Quantico next week, a move that has drawn both speculation and alarm within the ranks.
The directive, sent earlier this week, requires virtually every general and admiral in command positions worldwide to attend, along with their top enlisted advisers.
It comes as the Trump administration has undertaken sweeping reforms at the Pentagon — firing senior leaders, reducing the size of the flag officer corps, and charting a new course for national defense.
In a brief statement Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” but offered no details about the agenda. Parnell voiced no concerns about reports on the unusual gathering.
There are about 800 generals and admirals stationed across the United States and in dozens of countries.
The order applies to all with the rank of brigadier general or higher, or their Navy equivalents, each responsible for hundreds or thousands of troops. Several officers said they could not recall a defense secretary ever ordering such a large assembly.
“People are very concerned. They have no idea what it means,” one person said. Another noted the disruption for commanders overseas, calling the approach “not how this is done.” A U.S. official asked pointedly: “Are we taking every general and flag officer out of the Pacific right now? All of it is weird.”
The unease reflects not only the scope of the directive but also the pace of change under Hegseth. Since taking office, he has announced plans to consolidate top commands, slashed the number of generals and admirals, and pushed to rebrand the Pentagon as the Department of War.
In May, he called for a “minimum” 20 percent cut in the number of four-star officers on active duty, along with a corresponding reduction in the National Guard. Across the force, the total number of generals and admirals is to be reduced by at least 10 percent.
Hegseth has also overseen a series of firings. Last month, he dismissed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, chief of the Navy Reserve; and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, who led Naval Special Warfare Command.
Earlier this year, the administration removed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations; Adm. Linda Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard; and Gen. James Slife, Air Force vice chief of staff. Gen. David Allvin, the Air Force chief of staff, has announced he will retire in November after being asked to step down.
The changes have not been without controversy, particularly as critics note that a disproportionate number of women have been removed from top posts.
Still, officials say a new national defense strategy is in the works, with homeland defense expected to become the central priority after years of China being identified as the primary threat. Some believe that will be a key topic when Hegseth addresses his assembled commanders.
For Hegseth, a combat veteran and longtime critic of Pentagon bureaucracy, the message is clear: a leaner, more accountable, and America-first military is the objective.
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