As of 2023, there were 37 active four-star officers across the military.
Hegseth’s directive also includes a 20% cut in National Guard general officers and a 10% reduction in total general and flag officers—approximately 900 individuals ranked one star or higher.
The memo describes the cuts as essential to “removing redundant force structure” and improving strategic readiness.
Hegseth argues that a bloated top brass hampers battlefield effectiveness and leadership efficiency.
“More generals and admirals does not lead to more success,” he said in a video posted on X, adding the reforms are not punitive but necessary.
The reductions come amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to streamline federal agencies and reshape the Department of Defense.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and vocal critic of military bureaucracy, has rapidly moved to align Pentagon leadership with President Trump’s national security agenda.
He has already removed several top officials, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Navy’s top admiral.
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the plan, calling the cuts arbitrary and potentially damaging to military readiness.
Further restructuring may include merging combatant commands like US European Command and US African Command to eliminate additional four-star posts.
Hegseth insists the changes will be implemented “carefully but expeditiously,” though specific positions targeted for elimination remain undisclosed.