US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star generals
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered the active-duty military to reduce its number of four-star generals and flag officers by 20% in order to improve efficiency.
In a memo, Hegseth announced that the measure would be followed by a second round of reductions of 10% among top officers across all branches of the armed forces, including the National Guard.
The reductions come in addition to the dismissal of more than half a dozen top generals since January, as the administration of US President Donald Trump is trimming excess spending from the federal budget through its newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Announcing the cuts, Hegseth said they would eliminate “redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership” and were intended to free the military from “unnecessary bureaucratic layers.”
“More generals and admirals do not lead to more success,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X.
“This is not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high ranking officers; nothing could be further from the truth,” he added.
Secretary of Defense Hegseth has promoted efforts to eliminate programs and leadership that were put in place to “support diversity in the ranks.” He has sought to remove transgender service members, and has launched broad changes to enforce a single fitness standard for all combat roles.
The policy is part of Trump’s broader White House effort to eliminate several of the Biden administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government and the military.
Earlier this year, Trump fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown, the second African-American commander ever to occupy the post. Brown publicly supported the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement back in 2020.
As of May 2025, the US military has about 653 active-duty generals and flag officers across all branches, including all ranks, according to data from Southwest Journal. Of those, 44 are four-star generals and flag officers, according to Hegseth.
The US Army has the highest number of generals, with 231, including 11 four-star generals.
Despite the ongoing campaign to cut federal spending, the White House has approved a record defense budget of around $1 trillion, up from the current $894 billion.
China, the world’s second biggest defense spender, has allocated $256 billion for defense in 2025, while the third largest, Russia, has budgeted $157 billion.
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