Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has summoned the U.S. military’s top brass overseeing forces around the world to a base in Virginia for a meeting.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Sept. 25 that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” but did not disclose the agenda or purpose of the meeting.
It is unclear how many generals and admirals are expected to attend.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Sept. 25, Vice President JD Vance said that it is “not particularly unusual” that generals who report to the Pentagon chief are meeting with Hegseth.
“It’s actually not unusual at all, and I think it’s odd that you guys have made it into such a big story,” Vance said.
When asked if he planned to appear at the meeting, President Donald Trump replied, “I’ll be there if they want me.”
“I think it’s great. Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world,” Trump said. “A lot of generals want to be here, and they want to look at the … they’re also going to be touring equipment sites. They’re going to be talking about the newest weapons, etc.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Department of War for comment and did not receive a response by publication time.
Previously, in May, Hegseth issued a memo to the military leadership, directing a minimum 20 percent reduction in the number of four-star positions across the active component.
The memo also required that the number of general officers in the National Guard be reduced by at least 20 percent, with an additional minimum 10 percent reduction among general and flag officers across the military.
“We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters,” Hegseth said. “This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers. Nothing could be further from the truth. This has been a deliberative process.”
Trump stated in his order that the name reflects the department’s “ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our nation at a moment’s notice, not just to defend.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
