On September 28th local time, several foreign media reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel is again planning to reduce the number of employees at the Pentagon.
This time, he targeted senior officers in the U.S. Department of Defense.
According to reports from Reuters and AP, several informed U.S. officials revealed that Haggith will give a speech in front of hundreds of enlisted soldiers on the 29th local time, discussing the key plans for military development, including the latest job cuts plan.
Sources familiar with the matter said that Haggathis will announce further reductions in the number of active generals (including those with one to four stars) and admirals. The layoff rate is double that of last year’s proposal (at least 10%), reaching 20%.
It is reported that Hageres has ordered that this measure must be completed by January 1, 2027.
However, one informed official said that rather than firing employees, Hagerth is adjusting the levels of some positions. Additionally, some positions will be eliminated.
According to reports, the Pentagon has 841 active military generals and admirals.
Additionally, the Pentagon issued a memo signed by Haggess on the 28th. The memo states that the Department of Defense will no longer appoint civilians to tenured positions at American military academies, with the aim of re-focusing military academies on "war studies".
In September last year, Hegse and representatives of the U.S. military attended a memorial ceremony for American prisoners of war.
According to the Associated Press, since January last year, Haggith has fired or prompted the retirement of over twenty senior military officials. Among them was General Randy George, the highest-ranking officer in the Army (i.e., the Chief of Staff of the Army), who was dismissed in April this year.
Besides that, they laid off two female officers serving as four-star generals and a significant number of female senior military officials.
Hagelseth referred to this effort as “generals, more soldiers,” believing that reducing senior positions would transfer resources and power to units closer to the front lines. Last year, he demanded a 20% reduction in active-duty four-star general positions and a 20% reduction in National Guard officer positions at the colonel level. However, it is still unclear whether these reductions have been fully implemented.
After being promoted from Fox News anchor to Secretary of Defense, Hesselstein transformed the department at a remarkable pace. He fired a large number of top-ranking officers in order to advance Trump's national security agenda and eliminate what he called "discrimination" in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives.
He renamed the US Department of Defense as "Ministry of War," causing great controversy.
According to the Associated Press, just a year ago, hundreds of generals and admirals from all over the world gathered in Quantico, Virginia, for an extraordinary meeting.
At the meeting, he announced his intention to end the "awakening culture" within the military, and warned those who did not support his reforms. He also criticized the so-called decline in standards, demanding that there should no longer be "fat generals," nor "fat officers."
"If I were to say something today that would make you feel discouraged, then you should make a wise choice and resign." he said at the time.
In July this year, Hagersey announced in a social media video titled “The War Department of High Testosterone” that the military would implement mandatory testosterone screenings. On September 2nd, the Pentagon announced that men aged 30 and above would be required to undergo testosterone deficiency screenings.
Standards require that soldiers diagnosed with low testosterone levels will undergo re-examination, and if necessary, treatment including testosterone replacement therapy may be carried out.
There is currently no sufficient evidence to suggest that universal low testosterone screening for military personnel can improve the United States' combat readiness. Many medical professionals warn that Hagee’s approach may be ineffective, and that improper prescribing of testosterone could increase the risk of infertility in military personnel or lead to other adverse consequences.
The next day (the 3rd), an American official revealed to the media that, after causing controversy, the U.S. Department of Defense had temporarily withdrawn a mandatory clinical guidance document on testosterone deficiency, which was issued on the 2nd.
