Though he has been the target of attacks and the subject of controversy since the moment of his nomination to lead the Pentagon, Secretary of State Pete Hegseth has remained resolute in his determination to reshape and reform America's armed forces.

On Monday, Hegseth penned a memo to senior leadership at the Defense Department outlining his plans to cut the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the military by at least 20%, as The Hill reports.

Hegseth reveals plan

Hegseth's memo, issued on May 5, began with a statement of the mission he is determined to fulfill and what he believes is necessary to meet the challenge.

“The Department of Defense is committed to ensuring the lethality of U.S. Military Forces to deter threats and, when necessary, achieve decisive victory,” the secretary declared.

Hegseth continued, “To accomplish this mission, we must cultivate exceptional senior leaders who drive innovation and operational excellence, unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness.”

Then, getting to the heart of the matter, the Pentagon chief added, “A critical step in this process is removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.”

Anticipated cuts outlined

According to the memo, Hegseth has ordered substantial cuts that will include reductions of at least 20% of 4-star active-duty positions and 20% of general officers in the National Guard.

Further, the secretary is seeking another reduction of at least 10% in general and flag officers as part of a realignment of the Unified Command Plan.

As The Hill notes, the cuts would bring the current number of four-star generals and admirals to below 30, a number which stood at 37 as of 2023, with the reductions also bringing the current tally of 900 general and flag officers to fewer than 720.

In a social media video posted after the memo's release, Hegseth suggested that the initiative, which he called “Less Generals, More GIs,” would achieve the goal of reallocating “resources from bloated headquarter elements to our warfighters.”

The end result, Hegseth's memo explained, will allow the United States to “uphold our position as the most lethal fighting force in the world, achieving peace through strength and ensuring greater efficiency, innovation, and preparedness for any challenge that lies ahead.”

Democrat senator reacts

Weighing in on Hegseth's plan on Monday was Sen. Jack Reed (R-RI), who, as Reuters noted, expressed reservations about the planned cuts and the manner in which the secretary was going about them.

“I have always advocated for efficiency at the Department of Defense, but tough personnel decisions should be based on facts and analysis, not arbitrary percentages. Eliminating the positions of many of our most skilled and experienced officers without sound justification would not create 'efficiency' in the military – it could cripple it,” Reed stated.

Hegseth, for is part, remains steadfast in his position, insisting that the cuts do not represent “a slash and burn exercise” and contending that “more generals and admirals does not lead to more success,” but whether he is able to see his strategy through to completion is something that remains to be seen.