Washington: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered at least a 20% reduction in the number of four -star generals and admirals in active service in the American army, said a memo by the Secretary of Defense.
This decision is the last major upheaval at the Pentagon under the administration of President Donald Trump, who has already rejected a number of higher officers this year.
The memo also provides for an additional 10% reduction in the number of general officers and the flag, and a 20% drop in the number of general officers in the National Guard.
He did not specify how the reductions would be made.
There were 38 four -star officers – the highest rank that can generally be reached in the American army – and a total of 817 generals and admirals in active forces in March 2025.
The cuts aim to remove the “redundant force structure to optimize and rationalize leadership by reducing the excessive positions of the general and the flag agents,” said the note.
“Thanks to these measures, we will maintain our position as the most fatal combat force in the world, achieving peace by force and guaranteeing greater efficiency, innovation and preparation for any challenge that awaits us,” he added.
Since he started his second term in January, Trump has supervised a purge of the best officers, including the president of the joint staff chiefs, General Charles, “CQ” Brown, whom he rejected without explanation in February.
The other superior officers suppressed this year include the chiefs of the navy and the coastal guard, the general who headed the national security agency, the Air Force Chief of Staff, a naval ad attributed to NATO and three best military lawyers.
Hegseth insisted that the president simply chooses the leaders he wants, but democratic legislators have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral American army.
