Pete Hegseth plans to cut 20% of US military generals and admirals
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed plans to cut 20% of the military’s generals and admirals during a State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Speaking to junior officers and enlisted leaders on September 30, 2026, Hegseth defended the reduction as long-overdue accountability while launching a sharp critique of diversity policies, university partnerships, and media coverage of troop deployments.
A twenty percent purge at the top of the armed forces
The reduction consists of a 10% cut attributed to officers who previously “clung to the Woke Department” and treated civilian control of the military as a suggestion, alongside an additional 10% reduction in overall general officer slots, according to Hegseth’s remarks. Defense Department data indicates the military currently maintains 841 active-duty generals and admirals. “The number crunchers say we fired 10% of the generals and admirals across the force, and that number sounds about right,” Hegseth told the 600 service members in attendance. “And I know because I directed it… The media calls that a purge; I call that accountability and long overdue.”
High-level departures and warnings from the ranks
The secretary’s directive follows a series of high-level departures across the armed forces. Previous removals under the current administration include Gen. Randy George as the Army’s top officer, Gen. CQ Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations. Before departing the administration in September, former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll warned the White House that the removal of senior officers and blocks on advancement were thinning leadership ranks and leaving a smaller pool of experienced commanders for future assignments, according to individuals familiar with the discussions.
Pushback on morale and the USS Abraham Lincoln deployment
During his address, Hegseth rejected reports of low morale within the armed forces as false claims and pointed to retention rates on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The carrier returned from a deployment lasting 286 days—extended from an original May schedule amid the US war on Iran—disembarking its crew on September 1 in a Thai resort city. Hegseth stated that roughly 80% of the force onboard was retained following concerns regarding mental health and supply shortages. Last week, reports emerged that eight US Navy personnel assigned to the Lincoln attempted suicide during the lengthy deployment. Hegseth dismissed critical coverage of the deployment length and troop conditions as disingenuous headlines and propaganda written as if by adversaries.
AUTOWARCOM and the new tech-sector partnership
Alongside personnel cuts, Hegseth outlined six new Pentagon initiatives, including the creation of a four-star command designated “AUTOWARCOM” to integrate autonomous drone technologies and artificial intelligence, as well as a newly established Office of Religious Affairs with a direct line to the defense secretary. Another initiative establishes a partnership project bringing Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey, alongside former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, to study the future of warfare. Luckey’s company, Anduril Industries, a defense technology firm, has secured billions in government contracts over the past year.
Overhauling the military educational pipeline
Hegseth also announced changes to the military’s educational pipeline, criticizing Ivy League institutions—despite holding degrees from Harvard and Princeton—as DEI-worshipping woke factories. The Pentagon will shift partnerships toward institutions emphasizing conservative values and other universities, naming Liberty University, Hillsdale College, Louisiana State University, Mississippi University, and Tuskegee University as part of the new framework.