Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a short-notice assembly of roughly 800 generals, admirals and senior leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico for Tuesday.
• President Donald Trump confirmed he will attend and speak, and officials say the event will promote a “warrior ethos,” which Trump described as a morale-focused meeting.
• The in-person recall is highly unusual for such messaging, with officials estimating travel costs in the millions and warning of disruption to ongoing missions.
• The gathering has prompted speculation of additional leadership cuts after recent removals and Hegseth’s plan to shrink the number of four-star billets by at least 20%.
• The push to reshape the Pentagon includes efforts to rebrand it as a “War Department” and roll back DEI programs, while Hegseth faces a reported inquiry into his handling of classified information and criticism from retired generals.