Pete Hegseth claims to have reduced the number of U.S. generals and admirals by 20 percent
Pete Hegseth claims to have ordered a 20% reduction in the number of general and admiral positions in the U.S. military. The secretary announced an additional 10% cut during a speech in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. However, the available personnel figures do not confirm that the number of high-ranking officers has already decreased. ()
A phased reduction in positions
An initial 10% reduction had been announced in May 2025. In Quantico, Pete Hegseth stated that he had ordered a second cut, also of 10%, bringing the total reduction to 20%, according to him. He presented this mea as a decision based on “responsibility” and a long-standing necessity.
The exact scope of the announcement, however, remains to be clarified. The secretary refers to eliminated positions, while the data cited in the article pertains to the number of active-duty generals and admirals. As of late May 2025, the U.S. military had 831 such officers, according to Pentagon figures. As of July 31, 2026, the latest available count was 851, a slight increase from the previous year.
The Pentagon did not specify whether the 20% reduction had already been completed or was still underway. The figures provided therefore do not support the conclusion that there has been an actual decrease in the number of high-ranking officers.
Departures at the Top of the Military Hierarchy
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in early 2025, several high-ranking military officials have left their posts. In February, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff appointed under Joe Biden was ousted and replaced, with no public justification given in the article.
Subsequent departures included officials from the Navy and Coast Guard, the NSA, as well as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and his deputy. In early April, General Randy George, the Army Chief of Staff, was also forced out. The Pentagon did not provide an explanation for this, according to the report.
Pete Hegseth defends these changes as part of a transformation of military culture. At Quantico, he argued that it was impossible to change this culture by retaining the people who, in his view, had allowed it to take root. He says he wants to promote a military centered on the figure of the “warrior” and rejects policies he associates with diversity.
A Controversial Policy
Democratic Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Armed Services Committee, has criticized the secretary’s leadership. In a statement, he accuses him of making decisions he describes as partisan and of derailing the careers of many senior officers without explaining why.
At this stage, the announcement of a 20% reduction therefore pertains to positions, according to the wording used by Pete Hegseth. The number of service members affected, the implementation timeline, and the actual changes in personnel levels remain to be clarified.
Source: TF1 INFO – News for Everyone (www.tf1info.fr)
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