US War Secretary Calls Urgent Meeting with Top Generals

By Staff, Agencies

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world to gather at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, next week in an unprecedented move that has stirred anxiety across the top ranks of the armed forces.

The Pentagon confirmed the meeting but offered no details. “The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” chief spokesman Sean Parnell said on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump, who last month rebranded the Pentagon as the “Department of War,” downplayed concerns, calling the gathering a “friendly” get-together.

“It’s great when generals and top people want to come to the United States to be with a now-called Secretary of War,” he told reporters at the White House. “They’re also going to be touring equipment sites, talking about the newest weapons. It’s going to be great.”

Military officials, however, said they were blindsided. The order has disrupted schedules across the globe, forcing commanders in active theaters to make sudden travel plans.

“Whatever it is can be communicated through secure emails, phone calls and video links,” one official told Politico, questioning the need to summon so many top brass to one location.

Hegseth’s overhaul of the Pentagon includes firing top officers and reducing four-star generals and admirals by 20%, arguing that more high-ranking officers doesn’t lead to greater success.

Military officials noted that while the Joint Chiefs and combatant commanders traditionally meet twice a year in Washington, the recall of hundreds of officers – including those commanding conflict zones – is virtually without precedent.

The Pentagon’s recent policy reviews shift priorities from China to homeland security. Hegseth may use the Quantico gathering to preview the new strategy and his "less generals, more GIs" policy.

Trump and Hegseth have tightened Pentagon information control, with a memo warning reporters of revoked press credentials for "unauthorized" disclosures, while Hegseth stated, "The press does not run the Pentagon – the people do."