Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered roughly 800 generals and admirals to assemble at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Tuesday with little notice and no stated reason.
• Trump confirmed he will attend and framed the event as a positive “esprit de corps” pep talk, though the agenda remains unclear.
• With the president attending, the Secret Service is overseeing security for a rare concentration of senior commanders from across the globe.
• The gathering comes as Hegseth advances a “warrior ethos” campaign and plans to reduce the general and flag officer ranks by about 20%, following a series of senior removals.
• Members of Congress and experts are pressing for cost and readiness details, with reporting that travel and lodging could cost millions and concerns about returning leaders during a looming funding deadline.