Pete Hegseth Targets 'Woke' Military Culture, Cuts 20% of Top Brass, and Brands 'Partisan' Press Coverage 'Treason'

Pete Hegseth has announced a 20% reduction in general and flag officer positions across the US military, while using his State of the Force address to renew attacks on what he calls 'woke' culture and accuse some press coverage of being 'treason'. The changes were announced at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, on 30 September.

The reduction is important because it does not simply mean one in five serving generals and admirals will be dismissed. Hegseth said the military had already reduced the number of senior officers by 10%, with another 10% reduction in general and flag officer positions bringing the overall target to 20%. Some positions can be downgraded rather than eliminated.

The address also showed that the personnel changes are part of a broader attempt to alter how the Pentagon defines leadership, military culture, and future warfare.

The 20% Cut Targets Positions, Not Simply People

Hegseth described the reduction as 'accountability' and 'long overdue', while critics have described the wider changes as a purge. The Pentagon's stated rationale has centred on reducing what Hegseth regards as unnecessary layers of senior command.

The current plan covers roughly 800 general and flag officer positions and is due to be completed by 1 January 2027. The previous 10% target was set in 2025, when Hegseth said reducing senior positions would remove bureaucratic layers and improve operational effectiveness.

The distinction between positions and personnel matters. A billet can be eliminated, merged, or downgraded to a lower rank without requiring a blanket dismissal of officers occupying those positions.

Hegseth Is Linking Military Leadership to Culture

Hegseth presented the personnel changes alongside his campaign against what he calls 'woke' policies. He said officers who had 'clung to the woke department' or treated civilian control of the military as optional 'no longer work here.' He also described his preferred force as one in which 'the ideological clowns are out' and 'the patriotic cowboys are in.'

His administration has rolled back diversity initiatives and promoted a 'merit-based' approach. Hegseth also repeated his opposition to gender-related policies and announced further measures concerning physical standards. The political dispute is therefore not limited to the number of senior officers. It extends to how military professionalism itself is being defined.

The Pentagon Is Also Building Around Autonomous Warfare

The speech was not solely about culture. Hegseth announced plans for a new Autonomous Warfare Command, a four-star command intended to accelerate the military's use of autonomous and robotic systems. He also introduced Project Agincourt as an interim effort to develop the command's structure and connect military operators with technology developers.

That gives the reshuffle a second dimension: while the Pentagon is reducing senior command positions, it is simultaneously creating new structures around drones, robotics, and AI-enabled warfare. Hegseth also announced a future-of-warfare study involving Elon Musk, Newt Gingrich, and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, alongside plans for a new US military base and an Office of Religious Affairs.

Hegseth Escalated His Fight With the Press

The most politically charged part of the address came when Hegseth criticised journalists reporting on US military operations. He acknowledged that 'a free press' is important, but said what he characterised as partisan activism that 'smears' troops was 'a national betrayal' and 'treason, actually'.

The remarks came as journalists have reported on troop morale and weapons-stockpile pressures during the US conflict with Iran. NPR reported that the Pentagon had not held a news briefing since May despite the ongoing war.

That creates a significant tension for the department: the Pentagon is undertaking major changes to military leadership and operations while its defence secretary is simultaneously challenging reporting about the consequences of those policies and the war.

For service members, the practical question will be whether the restructuring produces the readiness improvements Hegseth says he wants, while for the public, the debate is increasingly about how much scrutiny the Pentagon should face as those changes take effect.