Hegseth to slash 20 percent of 4-star billets in dramatic cuts to active-duty ranks
The defense secretary said the US must “cultivate exceptional senior leaders who drive innovation and operational excellence, unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a town hall meeting for Department of Defense personnel at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2025. (DoD photo by US Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech)
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will officially shed the number of general officer billets after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo today outlining a plan.
“The Department of Defense is committed to ensuring the lethality of US military forces to deter threats and, when necessary, achieve decisive victory,” Hegseth wrote. “To accomplish this mission, we must cultivate exceptional senior leaders who drive innovation and operational excellence, unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness.”
To that end, he ordered the department leaders to remove “redundant force structure” and streamline leadership by reducing the number of general and flag officer postings.
The goal, he added, is to remove at least 20 percent of the four-star jobs inside the active component and another 20 percent of general officers inside the National Guard. There are approximately 800 general officers, and about 40 four-stars, currently, according to government data and Hegseth.
And as the Pentagon moves out with its Unified Command Plan that could see combatant commands consolation and/changing, another 10 percent reduction should be made, he added.
“Through these measures, we will uphold our position as the most lethal fighting force in the world, achieving peace through strength and ensuring greater efficiency, innovation, and preparedness for any challenge that lies ahead,” Hegseth wrote.
Today’s announcement has been expected for some time. In his confirmation hearing in January, Hegseth told lawmakers, “We won World War II with seven four-star generals. Today we have 44 four-star generals. There is an inverse relationship between the size of staffs and victory on the battlefield. We do not need more bureaucracy at the top. We need more warfighters empowered at the bottom.”
The move comes amid other major changes for the American military. Breaking Defense first reported that the Army was planning to revamp and consolidate its acquisition workforce to include cutting the number of general officers in leadership posts. Then later in the week, Hegseth released a massive Army overhaul memo that directed the service to “Reduce general officer positions to streamline command structures for the warfighter.”
