US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered senior Pentagon leadership to cut the number of four-star generals and admirals by at least 20% across the military according to a memo signed by Hegseth dated Monday.

Axar.az reports, citing CNN, as of 2023, there were 37 four-star generals and admirals across the entire military.

The memo also directs the Pentagon to cut the number of general officers in the National Guard by 20%, and to cut the total number of general and flag officers across the military by 10%. There are currently about 900 general and flag officers — those with the rank of one star or higher — across the military.

In his memo, Hegseth wrote that the cuts are a “critical” step toward “removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.”