Hegseth to announce 20% cut in generals, admirals, ends tenure for civilians at military academies

Jerusalem Post/World NewsHegseth will give a speech on Wednesday in front of hundreds of junior officers and enlisted officials, updating them on his priorities for the military.Follow us on GoogleUS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth participates in a ceremony in remembrance of US military prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA) at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., US, September 18, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 04:20US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to announce a 20% cut in the number of positions for generals and admirals when he speaks with hundreds of junior service members at Quantico, Virginia, two US officials told Reuters on Tuesday.Hegseth will give a speech on Wednesday in front of hundreds of junior officers and enlisted officials, updating them on his priorities for the military.The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Hegseth would say that he plans to cut the billets for general and flag officers by 20%. Those are one- to four-star generals and admirals. That is an increase from the minimum 10% cut Hegseth laid out last year.Rather than firing people, one of the officials said, the rank of some future jobs would change while billets for others would be canceled.Separately on Tuesday, the Pentagon released a memo signed by Hegseth that directed the Department of Defense to no longer appoint civilians as tenured college faculty at the US Military Service Academies. The memo cast the directive as an effort to refocus military academies on "warfighting." Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrives for an event to honor Marines who were serving during the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at the Pentagon on August 26, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia; illustrative (credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Hegseth has moved quickly to reshape the department, firing senior officers across the military and dealing with niche personnel issues. Last year, he ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers.Event comes after Hegseth criticized diversity initiatives, 'fat generals'The event on Wednesday will come a year after Hegseth slammed "fat generals" and diversity initiatives in front of US military generals and admirals during a speech at Quantico.Last year, US President Donald Trump also delivered an address at Quantico and floated the idea of using deployments to US cities "as training grounds for our military."The remarks by Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, and Trump, a former reality television star, resembled a reality TV format, as top US military officials were summoned on short notice.Addressing an auditorium full of top brass who flew in from around the world at the time, Hegseth defended his firings of flag officers, including the top US general, who was Black, and the Navy's top admiral, who was a woman. He said the officers he relieved were part of a broken culture."If the words I'm speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign," Hegseth said.Follow us on Google