The reduction would remove about 170 active-duty generals and admirals from chains of command, leaving around 680 in charge of key military organizations.
September 29, 2026 4:28 pm
3 min read
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Sept. 29, 2026 to add a comment from Sen. Jack Reed.
The Pentagon is moving forward with a directive to cut 20% of positions held by generals and admirals by Jan. 1, a Pentagon official confirmed Tuesday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to unveil the changes at his State of the Force address in Quantico, Va., on Wednesday. When asked to provide details of the announcement, first reported by Fox News on Tuesday, the Pentagon official said the story was accurate.
Hegseth approved plans earlier this month to reduce the number of general and flag officer billets across the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as those in joint roles, Fox reported. It’s unclear how those changes will be spread across the armed forces.
Federal law authorizes a total of 857 active-duty general and admiral billets across the department. Public military personnel data shows 851 of those jobs were filled as of July 31.
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A 20% reduction would remove about 170 active-duty generals and admirals from chains of command, leaving around 680 in charge of key military organizations around the globe. Some billets will be demoted to be filled by colonels and Navy captains, Fox reported, while others will be cut altogether.
Hegseth has long criticized the department as too top-heavy and focused on regulating troops rather than enabling them. Last year, he directed the active-duty military to eliminate 20% of its nearly 40 four-star generals and 10% of its nearly 800 one to three-star officers, plus 20% of the National Guard’s approximately 700 generals.
The secretary has pursued that goal by firing or blocking promotions for more than 80 generals and admirals since taking over as the Pentagon’s top civilian appointee in January 2025, the New York Times reported earlier this month.
Skeptics say removing seasoned officers from positions of authority robs the military of valuable experience and oversight, particularly as the U.S. continues to fight Iran and competes for dominance with China in the Pacific.
Downsizing could require changes to regulations and laws that dictate what rank a person must hold to occupy certain jobs. It may also become harder for lower-ranking officials to attend meetings or make decisions that were previously handled by officers with stars on their shoulders.
Hegseth’s plan “should alarm every American,” Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Tuesday evening.
“Efficiency and streamlining in the military are worthy goals, but the size and structure of our military’s senior officer corps are matters in which Congress has a fundamental role,” said Reed, an Army veteran. “Article I of the Constitution assigns Congress the power to raise and support the armed forces and to make rules for their government. Reshaping the senior leadership of the world’s most powerful military is precisely the kind of decision that requires consultation with and justification to Congress.”
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Reed warned of disrupting command “when continuity matters most” during major operations around the world. He asked Hegseth to justify the reduction to lawmakers in writing before making any changes.
Spokespeople for the other congressional defense committee leaders did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
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