‘Less Generals, More GIs’: Hegseth Orders Reduction In High-Ranking General And Flag Officers
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo Monday that aims to reduce the number of four-star generals and flag officers in the U.S. military.
This directive “is a historic one, and it’s in keeping with President Trump’s commitment to achieving peace through strength,” Hegseth said in a video message announcing the order. “We’re gonna shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters.”
As described by Hegseth and further outlined in Monday’s memo, this new policy will come in two phases.
According to the directive, the first phase will result in a “minimum” 20 percent reduction of both active-duty four-star generals and “general officers in the National Guard.” The second phase will produce “[a]n additional minimum 10% reduction in general and flag officers with the realignment of the Unified Command Plan.”
“Through these measures, we will uphold our position as the most lethal fighting force in the world, achieving peace through strength and ensuring greater efficiency, innovation, and preparedness for any challenge that lies ahead,” the memo reads.
In his Monday video announcement, Hegseth contrasted the number of four-star generals in the service during World War II to the present day. He said it “used to be a ratio of one general to 6,000 troops” during the global conflict but now stands at “one general to 1,400 [troops].”
“More generals and admirals does not equal more success,” Hegseth said.
The defense secretary went on to clarify that the order is “not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers,” adding, “nothing could be further from the truth.” He also noted the effort has been a “deliberative process” that has involved collaboration with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the ultimate goal of “maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks.”
As The Washington Times reported in 2023, “historical data shows that the percentage of generals and flag officers has gone up” in the years since the Cold War, “as the total U.S. military force has decreased.” The disparity has prompted concerns from Republican lawmakers such as Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who previously opined that “the ratio of general officers to enlisted individuals now is so out of whack from where it used to be in our military.”
“Maybe if we focused on that, helping the troops who do so much of the work out there for our great country, and maybe focus on getting rid of all the woke policies in our military, we’d have the money we need to make sure our troops get the pay raise they deserve, we have the weapons systems and the training that needs to be done, so we’re ready to deal with our adversaries around the planet, that’s what we want to focus on,” the congressman said during a 2023 “Fox News Sunday” interview.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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