{
  "id": 10813475,
  "title": "Hegseth to cut Pentagon posts reserved for Generals, Admirals by 20%",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/hegseth-to-cut-pentagon-posts-reserved-for-generals-admirals-by-20-10813475",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T23:37:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/30/hegseth-to-cut-pentagon-posts-reserved-for-generals-admirals-by-20"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth intends to reduce the number of high-ranking military positions held by generals and admirals by 20%, according to a Pentagon official. This move will allow lower-ranking officers, such as colonels and captains, to fill 23 positions on the Joint Staff, according to an anonymous source. The announcements regarding these changes will be made during Hegseth's \"State of the Force\" address at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Wednesday. This comes one year after Hegseth made a similar speech at the same location, where he discussed his vision for a military focused on physical standards, disciplinary processes, and the removal of \"woke\" personnel and policies. The 2025 address will include a new audience of junior service members, selected based on physical fitness and grooming standards. The previous year's speech was marked by several firings of senior officers and a directive to cut the number of generals and admirals across the military. The speaker also fired or blocked the promotions of several female and non-White generals and senior officers.",
  "summary": "The US defence secretary's focus on physical standards will allow some jobs to be filled by lower-ranking officers, such as Army colonels or Navy captains.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Hegseth to cut Pentagon posts reserved for Generals, Admirals by 20%",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/hegseth-to-cut-pentagon-posts-reserved-for-generals-admirals-by-20",
        "published": "2026-09-29T23:37:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}