20%.. The US Secretary of Defense reduces the number of senior officers in the army

On Monday, US Defense Minister Beit Higseth ordered the reduction of the number of senior officers in the active service of the army, including generals and Admirals (4 -star officers) by 20%.

In March 2025, the number of generals and Admirals of 4 -star (the highest rank ever) in all the branches of the American Armed Forces reached 38, while the total number of other generals and Admirals in service reached 817 officers.

Since Republican President Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, his administration has announced its intention to align the army with its political priorities.

During its first hundred days, the Trump administration has had a number of senior officers, and announced plans to lay off thousands of civilian employees.

Conditions for applying discounts

In a memorandum issued on Monday, the Pentagon Minister ordered the reduction of the number of officers from the highest rank (4 stars) by 20%, and the leaders of the leaders of all ranks (star and above) by 10% for other branches of the armed forces and 20% for the National Guard.

“Through these measures, we will maintain our position as the strongest combat power in the world, and we will build peace through power, and we will ensure more effectiveness, innovation and preparation for the upcoming challenges,” the minister said in the memo.

The memo did not specify the conditions for applying these cuts.

Discounts in two phases

Higseth soon posted a video clip on the X platform, in which he explained that these cuts would take place in two phases, starting with four -star generals, and those in the National Guard.

The minister pointed out that this decision does not aim to “punish the major military”, and that the goal is to “maximize the good strategic preparation and operational effectiveness.”

During his hearings in front of the Senate to install him in his post in January, Higseth confirmed that he would work to reduce the bureaucracy in the Pentagon.

He said: “This will be my task, to work with those whom we recruit, and with those inside the administration, to determine the areas where we can reduce the increases to make them more powerful.”

Cutters without justification

In February, Trump suddenly dismissed and without any justification of the Army Chief of Staff, General Si Kyu Brown (Charles Brown).

The Trump administration also dismissed the Admiral Lisa Franchiti, the leader of the Navy, Admiral Linda Vigen, commander of the American Coast Guard, and the first woman in the history of the United States to lead one of the six branches of the army.

The dismissals also included the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and a number of senior military lawyers.

Defense Minister justified these dismissals that Trump simply wanted to put the officials who wanted them in the place where he wanted them, but the members of the Democratic Congress expressed concern about a possible politicization of the army.