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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
World
Al Jazeera Staff

US Defense Secretary Hegseth orders 20% cut in senior ranks of military

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives for a meeting with Peru's foreign affairs minister, Elmer Schialer, and Peru's defence minister, Walter Astudillo, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on May 5, 2025 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP]

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced steep cuts in the number of top-ranked officers in his latest move to streamline the world’s most powerful military.

In a memo on Monday, Hegseth ordered a 20 percent reduction in the number of four-star generals and admirals – currently the highest-ranked personnel in the US military – as well as a 10 percent reduction in the number of general and flag officers.

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