Hundreds of US generals and admirals stationed across the globe have been ordered to gather in Virginia next week for a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CNN reported citing officials in the know. The sudden directive, which caught even senior officers off guard, fueled speculation across the military.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia but the purpose of the gathering remains unclear, with no official explanation given by the Pentagon. Even those ordered to attend reportedly “don’t seem to know what the meeting is about”, as per the report.
Why Calling The Meeting Is Unusual?
The large-scale summoning of general and flag officers- those ranked one star or higher- is highly unusual. A
source familiar with the situation told CNN that theories ranged from a group fitness test to a briefing on the state of the Defense Department or even mass firings of officers. The unusual move has also raised security concerns about placing so many high-ranking officers in one location.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that Pete Hegseth would be “addressing his senior military leaders early next week” without providing details about the agenda or clarifying whether all general and flag officers were ordered to attend.
The order comes as the Donald Trump administration has overseen sweeping changes within the senior military leadership. Since taking office in January, several high-ranking officers have been dismissed, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, former Chief of Naval Operations and Adm. Linda Fagan, former Commandant of the Coast Guard.
In May, Pete Hegseth ordered the Defense Department to cut the number of four-star generals and admirals by at least 20%.
