Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has abruptly summoned hundreds of America’s highest-ranking military officers to a rare closed-door meeting next week.
He has offered no explanation for the surprise move, reportedly fueling speculation among top generals and their staff who are unaware of the purpose of the summit at a Virginia Marine Corps base.
The order, first reported by the Washington Post, was sent to all of the military’s top leadership worldwide earlier this week.
It comes months after Hegseth’s Pentagon staff reported plans to slash the US military’s senior ranks, cutting jobs held by about 100 admirals and generals.
Hegseth called that move necessary to cut ‘redundant force structure’ and continue streamlining the Pentagon’s ‘red-tape jungle.’
In a statement today, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s spokesman, confirmed to Daily Mail that the secretary ‘will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.’
He did not provide any further details and did not express any concerns about the meeting.
Roughly 800 generals and admirals are stationed across the US and around the world, spanning numerous countries and time-zones.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, seen with his wife Jennifer Rauchet, has abruptly summoned hundreds of America’s highest-ranking military officers to a closed-door meeting next week
The head of the War Department has offered no explanation for the surprise move. Pictured: The Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon at the White House
According to insiders, Hegseth’s new directive targets all senior commanders ranked brigadier general and above and their top enlisted advisers — many of whom lead large formations of troops.
Two sources familiar with the situation confirmed to Daily Mail that top-ranking officers from active conflict zones and key regions such as the Middle East, Europe and Asia, are expected to be at Hegseth’s upcoming meeting.
A former Pentagon source tells the Daily Mail they can’t remember the last time this has been done before.
‘Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t tell you why this is happening,’ the source said, also adding that this isn’t exactly protocol. ‘Expect the unexpected with Hegseth’s Department of War,’ they added.
The source tells Daily Mail it is clear that only Hegseth’s inner circle is aware of what the plans are for the meeting, which they call ‘a scary thing.’
‘We don’t know what this meeting is. This could be anything from a push-up contest to a meeting on national security,’ the source said, adding, ‘To me, it shows how out of depth Hegseth is. He doesn’t understand how the military works. It runs on structure and that is what makes it work. To just be like, everyone is coming into town now, and on the day of the shutdown, it is poor messaging and poor planning on Hegseth’s part.’
They mention that our foreign adversaries could take advantage of this moment.
‘Can you imagine if your place of work pulled all of your senior leadership on the same day? Get out of here, if I am China, guess what I would take advantage of.’
Another former senior Pentagon official with over 40 years of experience noted how the in-person is meeting is odd considering the investments into secure military communications.
‘We have invested tens of billions of dollars in bandwidth and worldwide connectivity,’ the former senior Pentagon official shared. ‘Must be pretty important if Hegseth meeting can’t be done via video teleconferencing.’
‘I’m sure it will leak soon,’ they added.
Former CNN national security correspondent Barbara Starr speculated that the meeting could be the stage for a photo opportunity to feature Trump surrounded by generals as he touts work toward achieving peace in Ukraine and Gaza.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Christopher Grady at a meeting with Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg and Hegseth
Key government figures could discuss a fresh national defense plan that prioritizes protecting the US. Pictured: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine
Hegseth has already removed some top-level officials, renamed the Defense Department and slashed the number of generals by about about a quarter
The Washington Post reported that key government figures are developing a fresh national defense plan that prioritizes protecting the homeland, replacing China as the chief security concern after years of emphasis.
Sources familiar suggest this shift could be a topic of discussion at the upcoming military meeting.
The new directive comes after several significant changes Hegseth implemented, as he attempts to restructure the department.
This includes removing top-level officials, renaming the Defense Department as the Department of War and slashing the number of generals by about about a quarter.
The recent dismissals are part of a continuing sweep through the upper echelons of the country’s top defense leadership.
Hegseth has frequently slammed high-ranking military officials, expressing his views in podcasts last year. He has said that about one-third of the top brass are deliberately trying to turning the military into a political tool.
This story is being updated.
