War Secretary Pete Hegseth will slash general and admiral positions by 20 percent during his State of the Force address Wednesday, doubling his previous year’s reduction target in a sweeping restructuring of Pentagon leadership that aims to push resources toward frontline troops.

Massive Reduction Targets Senior Military Ranks

Hegseth approved reduction plans for the Army, Navy, Air Force and joint military pool earlier this month, directing full implementation by January 1, 2027. The cuts target billets—positions designated for generals and admirals—rather than removing current officers across the board. Memos reviewed by Fox News Digital show the reductions represent a dramatic escalation of Hegseth’s year-old initiative dubbed “less generals, more GIs,” which originally called for a 10 percent overall reduction in senior leadership positions along with separate 20 percent cuts to active-duty four-star positions and National Guard general officers.

War Department sources confirmed many positions will be downgraded rather than eliminated entirely. A September 16 memo from Hegseth directed officials to establish colonel-level requirements for positions identified for downgrade, allowing O-6 officers to fill roles previously reserved for flag officers. The restructuring strips away bureaucratic layers and pushes command authority down the chain toward troops closer to combat operations.

Streamlining Military Command Structure

Hegseth will unveil the reductions during his address at Quantico, Virginia, exactly one year after summoning hundreds of generals and admirals to the same location for an extraordinary gathering where he outlined reform expectations and warned resistant leaders to step aside. The War Secretary has consistently argued the changes maximize strategic readiness and operational effectiveness through prudent reductions in senior ranks. “This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers,” Hegseth stated when announcing the initial reductions in May 2025, emphasizing deliberative collaboration with Joint Chiefs of Staff leadership.

New Standards For Military Gathering

This year’s audience composition will differ significantly from 2025. Military commands received instructions to send top-performing service members meeting strict fitness and body-composition requirements while maintaining impeccable grooming and uniform standards, according to internal Pentagon guidance. Selected troops will participate in a workout session with Hegseth, signaling the administration’s emphasis on readiness standards throughout all ranks. The restructuring continues the administration’s broader effort to refocus Pentagon priorities on combat effectiveness rather than administrative overhead, redirecting resources from headquarters positions toward operational capabilities and personnel serving in direct combat roles.