Washington: The head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, ordered at least a 20 percent reduction in the number of generals and four -star admirals in the United States army, said a memorandum of the Secretary of Defense.
The measure is the last great shake in the Pentagon under the administration of President Donald Trump, who has already dismissed several higher officers this year.
The memorandum also requires an additional 10 percent reduction in the number of general officers and flag, and a 20 percent cut in the number of general officers in the National Guard.
It did not specify how reductions would be achieved.
There were 38 four -star officers, the highest range that can generally be achieved in the United States Army, and a total of 817 generals and admirals in active duty forces as of March 2025.
The cuts are aimed at eliminating the “redundant force structure to optimize and rationalize leadership by reducing excess general positions and flag officers,” said the memorandum.
“Through these measures, we will maintain our position as the most lethal struggle force in the world, achieving peace through force and guaranteeing greater efficiency, innovation and preparation for any challenge that is coming,” he added.
Since his second term began in January, Trump has supervised a purge of senior officers, including the president of the General of the Chiefs of General Staff Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he rejected without explanation in February.
Other senior officers retired this year include the bosses of the Navy and the Coast Guard, the general who directed the National Security Agency, the Vice Chief of Cabinet of the Air Force, a Marine Admiral assigned to NATO and three main military lawyers.
Hegesh has insisted that the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but democratic legislators have expressed concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral American army.
