The Steady Drip: Hegseth's Moves to Slash Generals Stokes Experts' Concerns (Connecting the Dots: All Branches of the Military, The Center for a New American Security, The Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), The Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), Benghazi Investigator & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Hegseth's Moves to Slash Generals Stokes Experts' Concerns (Connecting the Dots: All Branches of the Military, The Center for a New American Security, The Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), The Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), Benghazi Investigator & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Saturday, 10 May 2025 06:13 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/us/pete-hegseth-military-defense/2025/05/10/id/1210427/

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's call to slash the size of the U.S. military's top brass is sparking concerns among experts that the purge is being done without regard for losing institutional knowledge and could be politically motivated.

"We’re very concerned, especially with this administration, that this could easily turn into political testing or otherwise clearing out the ranks for political reasons," Greg Williams, the director of defense information at Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog organization, told The Hill, the outlet reported Saturday.

This past Monday, Hegseth ordered 20% cuts to the top military leadership positions, saying the cuts will remove "redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership."

The plan could remove nearly 100 generals and admirals, at a time when there are 37 four-star generals and admirals and about 816 others who have at least one star.

"When a new administration comes in and makes a lot of changes, especially at the very top of the military ranks, especially for what are arguably very political reasons — are these officers ‘woke or or not?’ — that raises the concern that we’re undermining that nonpartisan tradition," Williams commented.

Hegseth's plan also calls for a 20% reduction of National Guard generals and to eliminate the number of generals and admirals overall by at least 10%.

The secretary has spoken out before about cutting back the top staff, telling lawmakers during his confirmation hearing that while the U.S. only had seven four-star generals to help win World War II, "today we have 44 four-star generals."

Hegseth added that rather than having "more bureaucracy at the top" the country needs "more warfighters empowered at the bottom."

He has revised the argument since then on social media, saying it was 17 four- and five-star generals overseeing 12 million troops, compared to 44 four-star generals and admirals overseeing the current force of 2.1 million.

There has been no timeline given for the cuts, which will be made in two phases.

The first phase focuses on cutting the active duty four-star generals and admirals first, followed by the cuts later to scale back the numbers of officers ranked one star and higher.

Meanwhile, there are 816 officers ranked with one star or above, while law authorizes 857 to hold the ranks.

Hegseth has also called to remove what he called "woke" officers from the military. Last June, well before taking office, he said he thought that at least a third of the officers in the military are "actively complicit" in allowing diversity initiatives to hinder combat operations.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps. Col. Mark Cancian, who is now a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, commented that cutting four-star positions will mean reductions of forces down the line, as positions would be eliminated when staffs are consolidated.

He also said that Hegseth's argument comparing today's numbers to the past doesn't work.

"If you look at the dollars that generals oversee, that has not changed from WWII to today," said Cancian. "Generals command fewer people but forces are much more capital intensive, the operations are much more intensive, and there’s more civilians too. You put all that together, there is no bloat, it’s about the same."

Connecting the Dots:

Mark Cancian is a retired U.S. Marine Corps. Colonel and a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Arnold L. Punaro was a major general for the U.S. Marine Corps and is an advisory board member for the Center for a New American Security.

John R. Allen was a general for the U.S. Marine Corps and is a director at the Center for a New American Security.

Gregory S. Newbold was a lieutenant general for the U.S. Marine Corps and a director at the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. Marine Corps was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

Albright Group LLC was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

Madeleine K. Albright was the founder of the Albright Group LLC, a director at the Center for a New American Security and an honorary director for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Thomas R. Pickering is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was the chairman of review board that investigated the 2012 attack on U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2013.

James E. Cartwright is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), was the vice chairman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a U.S. Marine Corps general.

James L. Jones Jr. is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), was the supreme allied commander – Europe for NATO, the commander, U.S. European Command for the U.S. Department of Defense, the national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration and a general in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Anthony C. Zinni is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a general in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Carlton W. Fulford Jr. is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a general in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Arnold L. Punaro is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a major general in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Mark Cancian is a retired U.S. Marine Corps. Colonel and a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Richard L. Armitage is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman of the Open Society Foundations.

David D. Aufhauser is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Harold Brown is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

James E. Cartwright is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and the Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Henry A. Kissinger was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

James R. Schlesinger is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Brent Scowcroft is the interim chairman; chair, international advisory board at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Richard R. Burt is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Frank C. Carlucci is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Robert E. Hunter is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a VP for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Zalmay Khalilzad is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Joseph E. Robert Jr. was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

John W. Warner is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Dov S. Zakheim is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

James L. Jones Jr. is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), was a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), the supreme allied commander – Europe for NATO, the commander, U.S. European Command for the U.S. Department of Defense, the national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration and a general in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Mark Cancian is a retired U.S. Marine Corps. Colonel and a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Richard L. Armitage is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and was a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Zbigniew Brzezinski is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and was a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Carla A. Hills is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and a board member for the International Crisis Group.

George Soros is a board member for the International Crisis Group and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Henrietta Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Henry A. Kissinger was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Dolores D. Wharton was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and is a trustee emeritus at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Frederick B. Whittemore was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

David M. Rubenstein was a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and a benefactor for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Letitia James is the chair for the Committee on Economic Development and the Attorney General of New York.

William E. Brock III is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Benjamin W. Heineman Jr. is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee on Economic Development and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

David M. Rubenstein is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Jessica Tuchman Mathews was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Michael Douglas is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and a friend of George Soros.

Ted Turner is a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and the founder of CNN.

Sam Nunn is the co-chairman & CEO for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and the chairman for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Warren E. Buffett is an adviser at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), a life trustee at the Urban Institute (think tank) and a trustee & major donor for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Urban Institute (think tank).

Carla A. Hills is a life trustee at the Urban Institute (think tank) and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Urban Institute (think tank) and the New America Foundation.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is Jonathan Soros’s father.

Jonathan Soros is George Soros’s son and a director at the New America Foundation.

Helene D. Gayle is a director at the New America Foundation and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Brent Scowcroft is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and was a director at the Climate Reality Project.

Albert A. Gore Jr. is the chairman for the Climate Reality Project.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Climate Reality Project, the Harlem Children's Zone and the Robin Hood Foundation.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone.

Michael R. Bloomberg was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation and a New York (NY) mayor.

Kenneth G. Langone is a trustee at the Harlem Children's Zone, a director at the Robin Hood Foundation and a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Maurice R. Greenberg was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.

Felix G. Rohatyn is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.

Henry A. Kissinger was a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Madeleine K. Albright was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) the founder of the Albright Group LLC and a director at the Center for a New American Security.

Albright Group LLC was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. Marine Corps was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

Mark Cancian is a retired U.S. Marine Corps. Colonel and a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank).

Arnold L. Punaro was a major general for the U.S. Marine Corps and is an advisory board member for the Center for a New American Security.

John R. Allen was a general for the U.S. Marine Corps and is a director at the Center for a New American Security.

Gregory S. Newbold was a lieutenant general for the U.S. Marine Corps and a director at the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. Navy was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. Air Force was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. Army was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. Coast Guard was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.

U.S. Department of Defense was a contributor for the Center for a New American Security.