Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed quite a few generals and admirals, in addition to a few of their workers, from world wide to return to Quantico, Virginia, subsequent week, U.S. officers confirmed to CBS Information on Thursday.
“The Secretary of Warfare can be addressing his senior army leaders early subsequent week,” mentioned chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. President Trump earlier this yr signed an government order renaming the Protection Division because the Division of Warfare and Hegseth as Secretary of Warfare, however the title can solely formally be modified by Congress.
The Pentagon has supplied no different particulars concerning the assembly to both the army leaders or the press.
The information of the assembly was first reported in The Washington Submit.
There are usually scheduled conferences with senior army leaders, however a gathering of this dimension — in particular person and on such brief discover — is uncommon, if not unprecedented.
Requested Thursday concerning the deliberate assembly, Mr. Trump informed reporters, “I like it.”
“Allow them to be pleasant with the generals and admirals from all around the world,” he mentioned. “Is there one thing improper with it?”
Hegseth earlier this yr mentioned the Pentagon plans to chop down the variety of generals and flag officers — that’s, these holding the rank of at the least rear admiral within the Navy or brigadier basic within the Military, Air Drive or Marines. The aim, in keeping with a Could memo, is to chop 20% of the four-star positions within the active-duty drive and 20% of the generals within the Nationwide Guard.
Throughout his first few weeks on the job, Hegseth held a city corridor on the Pentagon and promised to look into whether or not each four-star basic or admiral is important.
“We received World Warfare II with seven four-star generals,” Hegseth mentioned in February. “Right now, we now have 44. Do all of these instantly contribute to warfighting success? Perhaps they do, I do not know, however it’s value reviewing to verify they do.”
It isn’t clear whether or not Hegseth is predicted to deal with decreasing the final and admiral positions on this assembly.
Some officers have raised different theories, like whether or not he’ll roll out the Nationwide Protection Technique, launched each 4 years, which particulars the priorities for the division. This yr’s Nationwide Protection Technique is predicted to position a heavier emphasis than earlier ones on defending the homeland with operations in U.S. Southern Command, just like the latest strikes destroying boats of alleged drug smugglers, and in U.S. Northern Command on the southwest border.
The assembly additionally comes as Congress stays deadlocked over funding the federal government, teeing up a potential authorities shutdown on Oct. 1. If the federal government shuts down, paychecks for army personnel can be delayed, though they are going to nonetheless be required to report for responsibility.
