Hegseth is said to have summoned US military brass from around the globe
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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has already fired more than a dozen military leaders, many of them people of colour and women.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Eric Schmitt, John Ismay, Greg Jaffe and Helene Cooper
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WASHINGTON - Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned scores, and perhaps hundreds, of generals and admirals from around the world to meet on short notice next week at a Marine Corps base in Virginia but has not disclosed the reason for the gathering, four US officials said on Sept 25.
The unusual directive, which has been filtering its way through military commands, and the undisclosed rationale, has stirred anxiety and concern among the military’s top ranks in a period when Mr Hegseth has fired several senior officers
The four US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential meetings, confirmed that the gathering was scheduled for Sept 30 at the base in Quantico, Virginia.
There are about 800 general-level officers in the armed forces, including 44 at the most senior, four-star level. It was not immediately clear how many of them would be ordered to the gathering, which was reported earlier by The Washington Post.
When asked by reporters at the White House about the summit, President Donald Trump initially appeared unfamiliar with Mr Hegseth’s plans. He seemed to assume that the defence secretary was bringing foreign military officers in for a meeting.
“I think it is great; let him be friendly with generals and admirals from all over the world,” Mr Trump replied. “Remember, I’m the president of peace.”
Vice-President J.D. Vance interrupted to clarify that the summit was for US generals and downplayed its significance.
“It’s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the secretary of war and then to the president of the United States are coming to speak with the secretary of war,” Mr Vance said. “I think it’s odd that you guys have made it into such a big story.”
In May, Mr Hegseth ordered a 20 per cent reduction in four-star officers and a 10 per cent cut in all general-level officers, continuing the broad job reductions and firings that have marked the first several months of his tenure.
Mr Hegseth has also signalled that he wants to consolidate some of the military’s war-fighting commands and pare the number of generals and admirals there.
Mr Hegseth has already fired more than a dozen military leaders, many of them people of colour and women. He fired the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown Jr., who is Black; the first woman to command the Navy, Admiral Lisa Franchetti; and the US military’s representative to the Nato military committee, Vice-Admiral Shoshana Chatfield.
He also pushed out General David Allvin, the Air Force chief of staff, and lieutenant-general Jeffrey Kruse
The chief Pentagon spokesperson, Mr Sean Parnell, said in a statement that Mr Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” but he offered no additional details.
It was not clear what role if any Mr Trump or White House aides had in ordering or approving the gathering, and if Mr Trump would attend. Congressional officials said on Sept 25 that they were caught off guard by the news of the impending high-level meeting.
The top four-star combatant commanders and the chiefs of the armed services typically meet at least twice a year in Washington, often holding a working dinner with the president. But the large number of lower-ranking generals and admirals in command positions who could also be ordered to Washington – including those working active conflict zones in the Middle East, Africa and Europe – is without precedent in recent memory, military officials said.
Senior Pentagon civilian and uniformed military leaders routinely conduct video calls to discuss sensitive operational or policy. NYTIMES
