Pentagon convenes unprecedented gathering of hundreds of U.S. commanders in Virginia

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is convening a meeting of hundreds of senior U.S. military leaders in Virginia next week, an assembly ordered by War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The topic of discussion remains unclear, and officials cautioned that few details would be released in advance.

The Pentagon confirmed the plan to hold the gathering but offered no specifics about the agenda. "The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week," chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said. The meeting would be highly unusual in size and format; such a conference is typically conducted via secure video teleconference rather than in person. Estimates circulating in defense circles place the number of participants in the hundreds, with about 800 generals and admirals spread across the United States and abroad. The order applies to officers with the rank of brigadier general or above or their Navy equivalents, as well as their top enlisted advisers. The directive was first reported by The Washington Post.

The move comes as administration officials prepare a new national defense strategy that places homeland defense at the top of the priority list, while the strategy long centered on pivoting to the Indo-Pacific is expected to guide a global force posture review that could entail major changes to the positioning of U.S. troops at bases around the world.

Hegseth has repeatedly advocated for reducing senior leadership; in May he issued a directive to slash about 100 generals and admirals, with a minimum 20% cut to four-star officers and an additional 10% reduction in general and flag officers overall. He has described the policy as "less generals, more GIs." According to Hegseth, there are currently 44 four-star and flag officers across the military, producing a ratio of roughly one general for every 1,400 troops, compared with World War II's ratio of one general per about 6,000 troops. Commanders rarely all gather together in such a forum, a sign that the gathering may be intended to deliver a unified message on readiness, modernization, and personnel management.

Some observers have voiced concern that the size and secrecy of the meeting could presage a broader leadership shakeup, noting the lack of a publicly disclosed agenda and the timing as a point of interest amid ongoing deliberations over force posture and defense priorities. Officials familiar with the matter emphasized that the discussions are part of ongoing efforts to balance readiness with budget and personnel constraints as the Defense Department reevaluates its global footprint.

This development sits at the intersection of U.S. defense policy and domestic political considerations, underscoring how U.S. military leadership decisions can reverberate through national-security debates and congressional scrutiny. As the defense establishment weighs changes to where and how troops are stationed, the Virginia meeting could help set the tone for how aggressively the department pursues force reductions, modernization programs, and homeland defense priorities in the years ahead.

The situation remains fluid, and officials cautioned that details could still be released or altered in the days ahead. The story is developing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.