The reason for the meeting, set for next Tuesday, remains unclear, with Trump dismissing concerns as not \u2018a big deal\u2019.<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned senior United States military officers from their posts around the world to a meeting next week in Virginia, for what is expected to be a rare gathering.<\/p>\n
The summons was reported in US media on Thursday and confirmed later in the day by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.<\/p>\n
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It was not immediately clear why Hegseth ordered the generals and admirals to meet in Virginia on such short notice or what the meeting\u2019s agenda will look like.<\/p>\n
There are approximately 800 generals and admirals in the US military, and such senior officials can, in some cases, command thousands of troops, including in sensitive locations overseas.<\/p>\n
Most have detailed schedules that are set weeks in advance. One military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the news agency Reuters that those schedules have now been upended.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are scrambling to change their plans and see if they have to attend,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n
For his part, Parnell declined to offer specifics about the meeting, telling reporters, \u201cThe Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
At an Oval Office signing ceremony on Thursday, Trump expressed optimism about Hegseth\u2019s meeting, describing it as a good idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it. I think it\u2019s great,\u201d Trump said. \u201cLet him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also appeared to downplay concerns that the event could take military leaders away from posts critical for national security. He expressed surprise that the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, had gained national attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is that such a big deal?\u201d Trump asked a reporter. \u201cThe fact that we\u2019re getting along with the generals and admirals? Remember, I\u2019m the president of peace. It\u2019s good to get along. It\u2019s good. You act like this is a bad thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vice President JD Vance, who was at the Oval Office meeting, also sought to brush aside the anticipated criticism.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the secretary of war and then to the president of the United States are coming to speak with the secretary of war,\u201d Vance said, adding it was \u201codd\u201d that reporters were asking about it.<\/p>\n
Since Trump took office for a second term in January, he and Hegseth have taken on a campaign of reimagining the Department of Defense.<\/p>\n
They have, for instance, fired top military leaders, including CQ Brown, a former Air Force general who was serving as the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<\/p>\n
In May, he ordered a 20-percent reduction in the number of four-star officers, adding that there would be an additional 10-percent reduction among general and flag officers across the military.<\/p>\n
Hegseth has also called for the military to end its diversity initiatives, and several officials have been terminated for their alleged roles in such programmes.<\/p>\n
Instead, Hegseth has called on the military to increase its \u201clethality\u201d and \u201crestore\u201d its \u201cwarrior ethos\u201d.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Trump signed an order making it his policy to refer to the Defense Department as the Department of War, as it had been until 1949.<\/p>\n