CNN
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US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered senior Pentagon leadership to cut the number of four-star generals and admirals by at least 20% across the military, according to a memo signed by Hegseth dated Monday and obtained by CNN. A defense official confirmed the memo’s authenticity.
As of 2023, there were 37 four-star generals and admirals across the entire military.
The memo also directs the Pentagon to cut the number of general officers in the National Guard by 20%, and to cut the total number of general and flag officers across the military by 10%. There are currently about 900 general and flag officers — those with the rank of one star or higher — across the military.
In his memo, Hegseth wrote that the cuts are a “critical” step toward “removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.” Hegseth has argued before, including during his confirmation hearing, that there are too many senior generals in the military.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
