- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce a 20 percent cut to high-ranking military positions during his State of the Force address on Wednesday.
- The Pentagon has been directed to identify general and flag officer positions to downgrade or eliminate by January 1, 2027, as part of an initiative focused on 'less generals, more GIs.'
- The new target doubles Hegseth's previous 10 percent reduction order and follows earlier cuts to active-duty four-star and National Guard positions.
- Hegseth's ongoing military overhaul has resulted in the removal of several top officers and drawn criticism over blocked promotions and diversity policy rollbacks.
- Republican Senator Susan Collins warned that Hegseth's dismissals of capable officials could threaten congressional approval of his $1.5 trillion budget request.
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