Hegseth announces a drastic reduction of generals in the Armed Forces.
In his document, which was sent to all senior Pentagon personnel, Hegseth said the cuts would be implemented in two phases.
Parade of members of the US Army during Veterans Day in NY.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, announced Monday that the country's Armed Forces would soon undergo a drastic reduction in the number of general officers in each of its branches. In a memo, Hegseth detailed that this move represented a "historic" step in fulfilling the commitment outlined by U.S. President Donald Trump to be able to achieve "peace through strength." Similarly, the defense secretary noted that "We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters."
In the memo, Hegseth also explained that today there are44 four-star officers and senior commanders in the U.S. Armed Forces, a figure he said would represent a ratio of one general for every 1,499 soldiers, which represents a severe contrast to the ratio that body recorded during World War II, being one general for every 6,000 soldiers. Hegseth's paper comes just weeks after the defense secretary announced that one of his primary missions in this post would be to transform the nation's Armed Forces into a "leaner, more lethal force."
Cut in two phases
In his document, which was sent to all senior Pentagon, Hegseth noted that the cuts would be executed in two phases. In the first, the defense secretary explained that a "minimal" reduction of 20% of four-star generals and flag officersin the active component of the Army would be ordered, plus a 20% cut in the National Guard. Separately, Hegseth detailed that the second phase would mandate an extra 10 % reduction of generals and flag officersin each of the branches of the U.S. Army.
In a video, Hegseth explained that these cuts were part of his"less generals, more GIs" policy, adding that the cuts would be executed "carefully but swiftly." Similarly, the defense secretary assured that "this is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers" but rather "deliberative process, working with the joint chiefs with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions."
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