Hegseth calls rare gathering of top military commanders in Quantico amid Pentagon overhaul

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called senior military commanders from across the globe to an unexpected high-level meeting next week in Quantico, Virginia, according to a Reuters report, citing five officials on Thursday.

The sudden gathering — described by officials as rare — has sparked uncertainty among attendees, with the purpose of the meeting still unclear.

Two officials said the short notice has disrupted long-standing plans, as many of the generals and admirals oversee large troop deployments and typically operate on tightly coordinated schedules set weeks in advance.

“People are scrambling to change their plans and see if they have to attend,” Reuters quoted one US official as saying, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

It remains unclear how many senior officials will attend the meeting, but such a large concentration of top military brass in one room is highly unusual.

When asked for details, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell offered a brief response: “The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”

Parnell did not respond to further questions about the number of attendees, the meeting’s purpose, or the reason for the short notice.

President Trump has directed the Pentagon to officially rename itself the Department of War — a change that would require congressional approval.

US forces are stationed globally, including in far-flung regions like South Korea, Japan, and the Middle East, where they are commanded by senior two-, three-, and four-star generals and admirals.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved with stunning speed to reshape the department, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement Trump’s national security agenda and root out diversity initiatives he calls discriminatory.

In February, he fired Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with five other admirals and generals in an unprecedented shake-up of US military leadership.

Last month, Hegseth fired the head of the Pentagon’s intelligence agency and two other senior military commanders.

In May, Hegseth ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers. In that May memo, Hegseth said there would also be a minimum 20% reduction in the number of general officers in the National Guard and an additional 10% reduction among general and flag officers across the military.

“More generals and admirals does not lead to more success,” Hegseth said at the time.

Now, many of those generals and admirals will be in the same room.

“It’s probably more mundane than people think… (but) the lack of clarity isn’t helping,” the official said.

With inputs from agencies