United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior U.S. military officers from around the world to attend a rare in-person meeting in Quantico, Virginia, next week, five officials told Reuters on Thursday.
The Pentagon gathering will bring together generals and admirals who usually command large numbers of troops across global theatres, from South Korea and Japan to the Middle East.
Such short-notice orders have upended carefully planned schedules, and two officials said the abrupt summons has caused unease among those expected to attend.
It remains unclear how many senior officials will be present, but it is unusual for so many top commanders to convene in one location.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has been moving aggressively to reshape the U.S. military since his appointment, dismissing senior commanders and implementing Trump’s national security agenda.
He has also targeted diversity initiatives within the armed forces, describing them as discriminatory.
In February, Hegseth dismissed Air Force General C.Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with five other senior officers in what was described as an unprecedented shake-up of U.S. military leadership.
Last month, he removed the head of the Pentagon’s intelligence agency and two additional senior commanders.
Earlier in May, he ordered a 20% cut in the number of four-star officers, alongside a mandated reduction of at least 20% in the number of general officers in the National Guard and a further 10% cut among flag and general officers across the services.
