{UAH} ALL US MILITARY OFFICERS FROM ARROUND THE WORLD HAVE TO SHOW UP IN QUANTACO NEXT WEEK

Pentagon chief orders US military officials from around the world to Virginia next week

Story by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a ceremony honoring prisoners of war, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. U.S., September 19, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/ File Photo© Thomson Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned senior U.S. military officers from around the world to a meeting in Quantico, Virginia next week, five officials told Reuters on Thursday, a rare gathering of U.S. military leadership in one location.

  It was not clear why Hegseth has ordered the generals and admirals to meet in one place on such short notice, and two of the officials said this has created uncertainty among the expected attendees.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved with stunning speed to reshape the department, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement Trump's national security agenda and root out diversity initiatives he calls discriminatory.

In February, he fired Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with five other admirals and generals in an unprecedented shake-up of U.S. military leadership.

Last month, Hegseth fired the head of the Pentagon's intelligence agency and two other senior military commanders.

In May, Hegseth ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers. In that May memo, Hegseth said there would also be a minimum 20% reduction in the number of general officers in the National Guard and an additional 10% reduction among general and flag officers across the military.

"More generals and admirals does not lead to more success," Hegseth said at the time. 

Now, many of those generals and admirals will be in the same room.

"It's probably more mundane than people think... (but) the lack of clarity isn't helping," the official said.  

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by David Gregorio)

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