Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of the US military’s generals and admirals to assemble next week at a Marine Corps base in Virginia, without explaining why – an unusual move that has raised eyebrows among Pentagon staff.
The order was first reported by The Washington Post, which cited more than a dozen sources who had seen the directive. They said they could not recall another defense secretary demanding such a gathering.
A Pentagon spokesman confirmed Thursday that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” but gave no details.
It is unclear if President Donald Trump will attend. Asked about the meeting, Trump said he would go “if they want me,” while Vice President JD Vance called the order “not particularly unusual.”
Current and former officials described how it caused widespread confusion, noting the order applies to generals and admirals in command posts from the Pacific to the Middle East.
It would be more usual for officers to communicate with Pentagon leaders through secure video conferencing rather than leaving their units at the same time to meet in person.
“People are very concerned,” one official said. “They have no idea what it means.”
There are about 800 generals and admirals in the US military. With each commander expected to travel with senior enlisted advisers and aides, the gathering is likely to run into the thousands.
Some officials warned that putting so many top commanders in one location at once would represent a major security risk.
A congressional aide told CNN that unless Hegseth wants to announce “a major new military campaign or a complete overhaul of the military command structure, I can’t imagine a good reason for this.”
The meeting comes as Hegseth faces criticism for politicizing the Defense Department and after a string of firings of senior military leaders. He has also ordered a 20 percent cut in the number of generals and admirals, pushed to rebrand the Pentagon as the “Department of War,” and taken a direct role in deciding which officers are promoted.
Lawmakers from both parties said they were not briefed on the plan, with some officials fearing the Virginia meeting could herald further dismissals.
“This is not how it’s done,” one defense official said, adding that the unusual secrecy has only deepened unease.