US Defence Secretary Hegseth announces 20% cut to senior-most ranks of military

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday announced a reduction of about 20% of four-star officers in the military’s senior ranks, deepening cuts at the Pentagon that have shaken the Department of Defence since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Apart from the senior rank officers, Hegseth in a memo ordered a reduction of 10% of overall general-level officers in the military and 20% of four-star positions in the National Guard, New York Times reported.

Hegseth, who has been vocal about his viewpoint on senior-most ranks of the military being too big, has been moving at a rapid pace to reshape the defence department, firing top generals and admirals as he intends to implement President Trump’s national security agenda and revoke diversity initiatives.

In a video posted on X, Hegseth said “More generals and admirals does not lead to more success. This is not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high ranking officers, nothing could be further from the truth.”

Hegseth informed that the decision to reduce 20% four-star officers was given due diligence by Joint Chiefs of Staff and the goal was “maximizing strategic readiness.”