Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed senior U.S. military leaders to assemble at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Sept. 30, with the Pentagon confirming only that he will address them.
• The order applies to officers at brigadier general rank or above (or Navy equivalent) in command roles and their top enlisted advisers, not staff officers.
• Roughly 800 generals and admirals worldwide were told on short notice to attend, prompting schedule disruptions and widespread confusion inside the force.
• Current and former officials say convening so many command-level officers in one location is highly unusual and raises security and readiness concerns.
• The summons follows earlier moves to cut four-star billets by about 20% and reduce general and flag officer numbers more broadly after multiple high-profile firings; The Washington Post first reported the gathering.