Pentagon to Cut 120 Senior Military Leadership Positions \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to eliminate over 120 senior military positions, including top generals, as part of a government-wide efficiency campaign. The cuts aim to reduce costs by trimming leadership while boosting lower-rank troop levels. Critics say the move risks politicizing military leadership during global instability.
Quick Looks
- More than 120 senior officer positions to be eliminated.
- Nine four-star general/admiral slots targeted across services.
- Cuts affect both active duty and National Guard roles.
- Trump and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency back the reforms.
- Army expected to absorb the largest share of reductions.
- Joint commands and regional leadership posts also impacted.
- Hegseth frames cuts as a shift toward operational agility.
- Critics warn of politicization and overburdened mid-level officers.
Deep Look
The Pentagon is preparing to execute a sweeping reduction in the number of high-ranking military officials, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes forward with a plan to eliminate more than 120 senior officer positions across the armed services. The cuts, which would include as many as nine four-star generals and admirals, reflect the most significant structural change to U.S. military leadership in decades.
The reductions are part of the Trump administration’s broader push for government-wide austerity, under the guidance of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Unlike traditional force reductions aimed at shrinking troop numbers, Hegseth’s initiative, titled “Less Generals, More GIs,” seeks to reallocate resources from command ranks to operational levels, preserving the overall force size while slashing overhead costs.
“This is not a slash-and-burn operation,” Hegseth said in a video briefing. “More generals and admirals does not equal more success.”
What the Numbers Say
The U.S. military currently authorizes 44 four-star active duty positions, of which 20% are expected to be cut. An additional 10% of the more than 800 one-, two-, and three-star positions are also targeted, including 33 positions in the National Guard.
Breakdown of potential cuts:
- 9 four-star roles eliminated
- 80+ other general/admiral jobs removed
- 33 National Guard senior officer slots cut
These positions span all branches of the military and include joint leadership roles such as commanders of U.S. operations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Cyber Command, and Special Operations Command.
While some jobs will be removed through attrition — as officers retire or transfer — others may be reassigned or consolidated, with lower-ranking officers like colonels or Navy captains assuming duties traditionally held by generals.
Services Most Affected
The U.S. Army, the largest military branch with an authorized 219 general officer slots, is expected to bear the largest share of the cuts. Senior officials are already developing plans to merge or shut down headquarters units, potentially eliminating up to 40 general roles.
The Marine Corps, Space Force, and Navy will face smaller impacts. The Marine Corps has only two four-star generals and already operates lean; many Marine generals hold multiple roles simultaneously, with 10 slots currently vacant.
Joint commands, which include regional and functional leaders, will also be affected. There are currently 232 joint officer slots, and Pentagon officials are reviewing possible command mergers to streamline leadership.
Each service’s ceiling for general/flag officers:
- Army: 219
- Air Force: 171
- Space Force: 21
- Marine Corps: 64
- Navy: 150
- Joint positions: 232 (max)
National Guard Review and Restructuring
The National Guard’s internal review last year identified over 30 general officer positions for elimination, most outside the Guard Bureau’s central staff. Of the 133 total general officer positions, roughly six will be cut from HQ, with the rest pulled from embedded positions in federal agencies, including the FBI, CIA, and various combatant commands.
State adjutants general, who lead National Guard units in all 50 states and are appointed by governors, are not included in the cuts.
Political and Strategic Implications
The Pentagon’s plan comes during a time of global uncertainty, with U.S. troops deployed in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and the Indo-Pacific. Critics, especially Democratic lawmakers, accuse Hegseth of using the initiative to politicize military leadership, potentially targeting those perceived as out of alignment with the Trump administration’s national security strategy.
“There’s a real risk of damaging institutional knowledge and stability,” said one House Armed Services Committee staffer. “You don’t build strategic depth by cutting experienced leaders in the middle of multiple global deployments.”
Still, proponents argue that the move could make the U.S. military more agile and cost-efficient, pointing to bloated headquarters staffs and command layers that have grown since the Global War on Terror.
Supporters also note that while senior officer salaries represent a small percentage of the defense budget, their influence on bureaucratic inertia and decision-making complexity is substantial.
The Road Ahead
Implementation of the cuts will begin over the next fiscal year, with each branch given discretion on how to meet its targets. The Department of Defense will work with Congress to adjust statutory caps on leadership roles as needed, and more announcements are expected as headquarters-level reviews conclude.
The long-term impact of this restructuring will depend on how effectively the services can balance reduced leadership ranks with ongoing operational demands, and whether the initiative results in the streamlined, combat-ready force its architects envision — or weakened leadership capacity in a volatile global environment.
Pentagon to Cut 120 Pentagon to Cut 120
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