Tale: Tara Copp, Dan Lamothe, Alex Horton, Ellen Nakashima, Noah Robertson
The Washington Post
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered hundreds of generals and admirals of the U.S. Army to meet shortly – and without giving a reason – at the Virginia Marine Corps base next week, sowing confusion and anxiety after the Trump administration released many elder leaders this year.
A very different directive was sent to practically all the highest military commanders worldwide, according to respective people acquainted with the case. It was released early this week, in the context of possible government closures, and Hegseth's openly political moves deepened a sense of concern among his opponents who fear that he would erase the position of Department of defence as a nonpartisan institution.
In a Thursday statement, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed that Hegseth would "turn to his elder military commanders early next week", but did not give any additional details. Parnell, elder advisor to the Secretary of Defense, expressed no safety concerns regarding the "The Washington Post" reports of a gathering scheduled for Tuesday in Quantico, Virginia.
It was unclear at erstwhile whether the White home was active in the meeting, or whether president Donald Trump was besides going to be there. The spokesperson addressed the questions to the Pentagon.
There are about 800 generals and admirals scattered across the United States and tens of another countries and time zones. The Hegseth's order, as reported by those acquainted with the case, concerns all elder officers in the rank of Brigadier General or higher, or their counterpart in the Navy, serving in command positions and their highest rank advisors. Usually, each of these officers oversees hundreds or thousands of private soldiers.
The top commanders in the conflict zones and elder military commanders stationed throughout Europe, the mediate East and the Asia-Pacific region are among those who are to attend the Hegseth meeting, said people acquainted with the issue who spoke subject to anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the issue publicly. The order does not apply to the highest rank of military officers who occupy staff posts.
"All Generals in charge in degrees O-7 to O-10 and their elder Private Advisors are directed to participate within operational restrictions," we read in the order, according to 1 individual who saw a copy. From O-7 to O-10 refers to military classification for all generals and admirals.
None of the people who spoke to The Post recalled that the Secretary of defence had always ordered so many generals and admirals to meet in this way. respective of them stated that this raised safety concerns.
"People are very concerned. They have no thought what that means," 1 individual said.
Others expressed frustration that even many commanders stationed abroad would gotta take part in the improvised summit of Hegseth, and any questioned the wisdom of specified action. "It will make the orders just decrease if something comes up," said the defence official.
The Department of defence has and frequently uses highly safe videoconferencing technology that allows military officials, regardless of their location, to discuss delicate cases with the White House, Pentagon or both. Another individual said that ordering hundreds of military leaders to appear in the same place "is not the way they do it."
"You don't call GOFOs who lead their people and global forces to the auditorium outside Washington and tell them why/what the subject or program is," added the person, utilizing a shortcut from the General Officer (general officer) or a flag officer.
"Are we now taking all general and flagship officer from the Pacific?" asked 1 American official. It's all weird.
At the Capitol, where Hegseth's unorthodox administration of the Department of defence upset members of both political parties, the legislators besides seemed surprised. Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate's and home of Representatives' committees of armed forces did not immediately comment on developments.
The orders came at the minute erstwhile Hegseth unilaterally directed the massive changes in the Pentagon—including an order to reduce the number of generals by 20 percent through extremist consolidation of the highest military commanders, firing elder leaders without giving a reason and a loud order to replace the Department of defence with Department of War.
The different order to appear in Quantico next week coincides with Hegseth's efforts to exert greater influence on who will be promoted to elder military officer. Even at the level of 1 and 2 stars, the secretary's squad analyses old accounts and what officials have said or published on social media, determining who to send to a higher rank or task.
These efforts had a freezing effect on the promoted officers, claims those acquainted with the case, as many officials expressed concern about the initiative and questioned whether this would undermine the military's ability to stay isolated from the country's toxic policy. Others say that specified force will force any officers to leave, resulting in immense losses for the Pentagon in terms of time and money devoted to training these leaders.
The top officials of the administration are besides preparing a fresh national defence strategy to make homeland defence a major concern of the nation, after respective years identifying China as the top threat to the national safety of the United States. any officials acquainted with the travel warrant said they thought it might be issued.
May Hegsetha Directive o firing about 100 generals and admirals besides caused concern among the highest military commanders. At the time, he called for a "minimum" 20% simplification in the number of four-star officers—highest military rank—in active service and a corresponding number of generals in the National Guard. There will besides be another 10% simplification in the full number of generals and admirals throughout the armed forces.
Last month, Hegseth fired Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, manager of the defence Intelligence Agency; Deputy Admiral Nancy Lacore, Chief of the Naval Reserve; and Rear Admiral Milton Sands, Navy SEAL officer who oversaw Naval peculiar War Command. No circumstantial justification was given in these cases.
The exemptions were the last of the wider purgatory at the highest levels of the National safety Agency. Since taking office, the Trump administration has besides dismissed the president of the College of Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr.; chief of naval operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti; Chief of Coast defender Admiral Linda Fagan; and, among others, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General James Slife. The list includes a disproportionately large number of women.
General David Allvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, announced last period that he would step down from office in November after He was asked to retire..
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hegseth-orders-rare-urent-meeting-of-hundreds-of-generals-admirals/ar-AA1Nibmf
