Newsletters
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of Army generals and Navy admirals to assemble at a Marine Corps base in Virginia next week, without giving a specific reason, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
The directive was sent to nearly all senior commanders worldwide, according to more than a dozen people familiar with the matter cited by the report. The unusual gathering is scheduled in Virginia, home to the Pentagon, just south of Washington.
President Donald Trump confirmed the meeting to reporters in the Oval Office. “I love it. I mean, I think it’s great,” Trump said. “Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also confirmed Thursday that Hegseth will address top officers early next week but offered no further details.
Sources told the Post that Hegseth’s order applies to all senior officers at the rank of brigadier general and above—or their naval equivalents—those holding command positions, and senior advisors. Commanders from conflict zones and senior leaders in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific are expected to attend.
Some officials suggested that a new national defense strategy, which would elevate homeland security as the nation’s top priority, could be on the agenda. But neither the Pentagon nor the White House confirmed the purpose of the gathering.
Vice President JD Vance downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying: “It’s actually not unusual at all. It’s odd that you guys have made it into such a big story.”
Still, several sources voiced skepticism about the directive, with some sources stating that “this is not how this is done” and calling it “weird” to summon nearly all top officers back to Washington.
The Pentagon has not provided an explanation, with spokesman Parnell repeating only that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”
The order comes after months of sweeping changes at the Pentagon under Hegseth. Earlier this year, he cut the number of generals by 20% and began rebranding the Defense Department as the “War Department,” though the name has not been formally changed.
In May, Hegseth directed the removal of about 100 generals and admirals, raising concerns among senior military leaders. His tenure has also been marked by controversies over security lapses, his views on women, and doubts about his ability to manage the sprawling Pentagon bureaucracy.
The shakeup follows a turbulent period for the military under Trump’s administration, which has dismissed several of the nation’s most senior officers, often without explanation.
1 min read
2 min read
