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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of the nation’s top military officers to assemble at a Marine Corps base in northern Virginia next week for an unscheduled meeting, an unusual move that has raised questions inside the Pentagon.
The gathering, scheduled for Tuesday at Quantico, will bring together generals and admirals of one-star rank or higher, along with senior advisers, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press.
The directive did not include a reason for the meeting. The people, who described the move as extraordinary, were not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
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Vice President JD Vance said Thursday the gathering is “not particularly unusual.” Asked about it during an Oval Office appearance, President Donald Trump appeared unaware of the details and said, “I’ll be there if they want me but why is that such a big deal?”
Vance said the media had blown the meeting out of proportion, calling coverage of the gathering a “big story” that was made bigger than necessary.
Why It Matters
The lack of a reason raised alarm, reportedly within the Pentagon as well as on social media. Hegseth and President Donald Trump recently announced that the Department of Defense would be renamed the Department of War, a move that prompted concerns that Trump's anti-war campaign message was being taken back.
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What To Know
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the meeting to Newsweek, but provided no further details.
Across the services, roughly 800 generals and admirals hold positions of authority, commanding troops around the globe in multiple time zones.
The Washington Post first reported the meeting, which follows a series of abrupt and unexplained personnel decisions by Hegseth that have unsettled military leadership. In May, he ordered a 20 percent cut in four-star generals and admirals, along with a 10 percent reduction in all other flag officers, and directed the National Guard to shed one-fifth of its top positions.
Earlier this year, he fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top officer, and General James Slife, the Air Force’s second-ranking leader, without explanation. He also dismissed senior military lawyers and most recently removed the head of a military intelligence agency after his analysis of U.S. strikes in Iran angered Trump.
As for next week's meeting, it was unclear whether the White House was involved in the decision or if the president would attend. Those within the U.S. military overseas have reportedly expressed concerns about the sudden call back home, with some having to travel thousands of miles on short notice without explanation, rather than using secure video or phone lines to meet.
Personnel were summoned to Quantico, a Marine Corps base known as the "Crossroads of the Marine Corps" for its reputation as a hub of innovation in U.S. defense practices.
Mark F. Cancian, a retired military colonel and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Newsweek that there are frequent meetings of general officers, but the reported scale of this meeting was unprecedented. He added that there were reports that the meeting had been on the cards for some time, but had potentially only just come to light.
What People Are Saying
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, in a statement to Newsweek: “The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”
Mark F. Cancian told Newsweek: "There's lots of speculation about what the meeting will concern. The flag and general officers are bringing their senior enlisted person, so it's unlikely that this will be some purge of general officers. One possibility is a discussion of the National Defense Strategy, which the secretary is reportedly about to publish.
"It has been widely reported that this strategy will emphasize homeland security, and Hegseth may want to express that directly to his commanders. It's also possible that there will be consolidations of commands, for example combining European command and Africa command. Finally, Hegseth may want to rally the troops and make the point, get onboard or leave, that is implied in much of his guidance."
What Happens Next
While speculation continues over the sudden meeting, Hegseth and Pentagon officials are said to be working on a new defense strategy for the U.S., including a focus on homeland security and defense of the Western Hemisphere, according to The New York Times.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Update 9/25/25, 2:11 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 9/25/25, 3:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Mark F. Cancian.
Update 9/25/25, 5:38 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comments from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
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