Hegseth Orders 20% Cut in General, Admiral Billets by Jan. 1, 2027

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 29

A 20% reduction in billets reserved for generals and admirals will be unveiled in Pete Hegseth’s State of the Force address, with the Army, Navy, Air Force and joint pool ordered to finish the cuts by Jan. 1, 2027.
Memos approved earlier this month frame the move as a bureaucracy-cutting overhaul aimed at shifting resources and authority closer to frontline troops and improving readiness.
The plan targets positions rather than automatically removing 20% of current officers in those ranks; some billets will be downgraded so colonels and Navy captains can fill them.
The new target doubles Hegseth’s 10% overall reduction ordered last year, which also called for 20% cuts in active-duty four-star posts and National Guard general-officer slots.
The announcement comes a year after Hegseth gathered nearly 800 generals and admirals at Quantico to press his reform agenda, while this year’s event will feature selected top-performing troops instead.