Pentagon chief summons US military leaders worldwide to rare meeting in Virginia
WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior military officers from around the world to gather in Quantico, Virginia next week, officials said on Thursday (Sep 25), in a rare meeting of top generals and admirals in one location.
It was unclear why the meeting had been called on such short notice. Two officials said the lack of explanation had created uncertainty among those expected to attend, some of whom oversee thousands of troops across the globe.
“People are scrambling to change their plans and see if they have to attend,” one US official told Reuters.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed only that “the Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week”, without providing further details on numbers or the agenda.
ABRUPT CALL, RARE GATHERING
It is unusual to assemble so many top officers in one place. The United States has senior commanders stationed from South Korea and Japan to the Middle East.
The meeting comes as Hegseth, a former television host, has moved swiftly to reshape the Pentagon under President Donald Trump’s national security agenda. Trump has ordered the Defence Department to rename itself the Department of War, a change requiring congressional approval.
The abrupt summons also comes as the White House is bracing for the possibility of a government shutdown if Congress does not approve new funding by the end of Sep 30. Officials have privately warned that a new round of mass layoffs could follow, fuelling speculation that the uncertainty surrounding next week’s meeting may be linked to those preparations.
SHAKE-UP IN MILITARY LEADERSHIP
Since taking office, Hegseth has fired senior figures including Air Force General C.Q. Brown, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as multiple admirals and generals in what analysts described as an unprecedented shake-up.
In August, he dismissed the head of the Pentagon’s intelligence agency and two other senior commanders. Earlier, in May, he ordered a 20 per cent cut in the number of four-star officers, as well as reductions in the National Guard and other general and flag officer positions.
“More generals and admirals does not lead to more success,” Hegseth said at the time.
Now, many of those officers are expected to be in the same room.
“It’s probably more mundane than people think … but the lack of clarity isn’t helping,” another US official said.
