Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the active-duty army to eliminate 20% of its four-star general officers, in an effort to optimize the leadership structure. This action is part of the Trump administration's efforts to streamline leadership positions in the armed forces.
Hegseth argued that the cuts are necessary to eliminate redundant force structure and achieve greater agility in military leadership. In addition to stripping top-tier general officers, it was also ordered to dismiss an additional 10% of general and flag officers across the armed forces, including those with equivalent rank in the Navy.
The army has about 800 general officers, of which only 44 hold the highest four-star rank. Hegseth has already overseen the dismissal of several senior generals since taking office, including prominent figures like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown Jr.
In Hegseth's words, these high-level personnel reductions are part of an approach to have the right people executing the national security strategy desired by the president. With this measure, the administration aims to reorganize and strengthen the command structure of the armed forces to face current challenges.
