The reduction would remove about 170 active-duty generals and admirals from chains of command, leaving about 680 people leading key military organizations.
Rachel S. Cohen
Editor’s note: This story was updated on September 29, 2026 to add a comment from Senator Jack Reed.
The Pentagon is moving forward with a directive to eliminate 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 during his State of the Force address in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday. When asked to provide details about the announcement, first reported by Fox News On Tuesday, the Pentagon official said that story was accurate.
Hegseth earlier this month approved plans to reduce the number of general and flag officer positions in the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as those in joint roles, Fox reported. It is unclear how these changes will spread within the armed forces.
Federal law authorizes a total of 857 active duty general and admiral positions throughout the department. Public data on military personnel shows that 851 of these jobs were filled as of July 31.
A 20% reduction would remove about 170 active-duty generals and admirals from chains of command, leaving about 680 people leading key military organizations around the world. Some positions will be demoted and replaced with Navy colonels and captains, Fox reported, while others will be eliminated altogether.
Hegseth has long criticized the department, calling it too heavy-handed and focusing on regulating troops rather than empowering them. Last year, he ordered the active-duty military to eliminate 20 percent of its roughly 40 four-star generals and 10 percent of its nearly 800 one- to three-star officers, plus 20 percent of the National Guard’s roughly 700 generals.
The secretary of state has pursued this goal by firing or blocking the promotions of more than 80 generals and admirals since he took over as the Pentagon’s top civilian official in January 2025, the secretary of state said. The New York Times reported earlier this month.
Skeptics say removing seasoned officers from positions of authority deprives the military of valuable experience and control, especially as the United States continues to battle Iran and vies for dominance with China in the Pacific.
Downsizing could require changes to regulations and laws that dictate the rank a person must hold to hold certain jobs. It may also become more difficult for lower-ranking officials to attend meetings or make decisions that were previously handled by officers with a star on their shoulders.
Hegseth’s plan “should alarm all Americans,” Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday night.
“The efficiency and streamlining of the military are laudable 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 vests in Congress the power to raise and support the armed forces and to establish rules for their government. Reshaping the senior leadership of the world’s most powerful military is precisely the kind of decision that requires consultation and justification to Congress.”
Reed warned against disrupting command “when continuity matters most” during major operations around the world. He asked Hegseth to justify the reduction in writing to lawmakers before making any changes.
Spokespeople for the other leaders of the congressional defense committees did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
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