In Quantico, a Military Is Remade by Subtraction

There is a particular kind of rhetoric that seeks to strip an institution down to what it considers its essence—to remove what it sees as excess, weakness, or distraction. On a Wednesday afternoon at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stood before junior officers and enlisted leaders and delivered what he called a "State of the Force" address. The setting was deliberate, the audience carefully chosen, and the message unmistakable: the military he leads is being remade in a specific image.

The centerpiece of the address was a confirmation that the U.S. military will cut 20 percent of its generals and admirals—doubling the 10 percent reduction Hegseth ordered last spring. The directive applies to roughly 800 flag and general officer positions and is to be completed by January 1, 2027. "I call it accountability and long overdue," Hegseth said, preempting the criticism he anticipated. "The media calls that a purge. I call it accountability, and frankly, the bare minimum".

The cuts are part of a broader overhaul that Hegseth has pursued since taking office, one aimed at eradicating what he terms "woke" culture from the armed forces. He has rolled back diversity programs, ordered a review of ground combat units with female troops, and introduced a screening program for "testosterone deficiency" among male personnel. In his speech, he used language that left little room for interpretation: "We are no longer the woke department, or the weak department. Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors—just tough, ready, committed troops".

Hegseth also announced the creation of a new four-star command to oversee autonomous and robotic warfare capabilities, which he described as "the fastest peacetime shift in modern military history". The announcement comes a month after an Army unit based in Europe that specialized in drone warfare was directed to return to being a traditional infantry battalion, a decision that prompted bipartisan lawmakers to ask for an explanation. He also announced a new Office of Religious Affairs and plans for what he called "the next great American military base," inviting states to make their case.

The context of the address was inescapable. The U.S. military is seven months into a war with Iran with no clear end in sight. It has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and conducted strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in Latin America. Experts say military contractors will need at least three years to replenish stockpiles of key weapons systems heavily used in the Iran conflict.

Reaction was swift and divided. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot, said Hegseth "has some kind of deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military" and accused him of "purging a generation of great leaders". Republican Senator Mike Rounds said he wanted to understand the reasoning, noting that "if it's simply a matter of eliminating a very heavy top, there may be some validity to it, but I want to see it first". Since taking office, Trump or Hegseth have fired or pushed to retire more than two dozen military leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top uniformed officials of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

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Sources: Associated Press, BBC, CBC News, Punch Newspapers, Congressional Research Service