Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a meeting of hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals at Marine Corps Base Quantico next week, prompting alarm and confusion throughout the military.
The directive, issued earlier this week, requires nearly every senior commander worldwide to appear in Virginia with their top enlisted advisers. Officials said the order applies to all officers in command with the rank of brigadier general or above, or their Navy equivalent.
The Pentagon has offered no explanation for the meeting. In a brief statement Thursday, spokesman Sean Parnell said only that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.” It remains unclear if President Donald Trump or White House officials will also attend.
Military officials familiar with the order, speaking anonymously, said they could not recall a similar event in modern history. Typically, secure videoconferencing allows the Pentagon to communicate with commanders across the globe without requiring such large-scale travel.
Bringing so many senior leaders to one location raises operational and security concerns, according to several officials. “People are very concerned. They have no idea what it means,” one said. Another questioned the wisdom of requiring commanders from conflict zones and overseas posts to leave their units.
The directive could result in more than 1,000 personnel traveling, including aides and advisers.
The order comes during a period of upheaval in the Pentagon. Since taking office, the Trump administration has dismissed or forced the retirement of numerous senior leaders, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and a disproportionate number of female flag officers.
Hegseth has also directed sweeping changes, including rebranding the Pentagon as the Department of War, ordering a 20 percent cut in the number of four-star officers, and firing top officials without explanation.
These moves have intensified fears among critics that the department’s long-standing role as a nonpartisan institution is eroding.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers from both parties appeared surprised by the order. Members of the Senate and House Armed Services committees did not immediately comment.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday in Quantico. Officials inside the Pentagon said they were still trying to determine the agenda and expressed concern that further dismissals could occur.
As one defense official put it: “You don’t call every general and flag officer into an auditorium outside D.C. and not tell them why.”
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