Pentagon chief orders U.S. military officials from around the world to Virginia next week

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned senior U.S. military officers from around the world for a meeting in Quantico, Virginia, next week, five officials told Reuters on Thursday. It marks a rare gathering of U.S. military leadership in one location.

It was unclear why Hegseth ordered the generals and admirals to meet in one place on such short notice, and two officials said this has caused uncertainty among the expected attendees.

Senior military officials, in some cases, command thousands of troops. Most have detailed schedules scheduled weeks in advance, which have now been upended.

"People are scrambling to change their plans and see if they have to attend," one U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

It was unclear how many officials will actually attend the event, but it is rare to have so many senior officials in the same room at the same time.

When asked for comment, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated: "The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week." Parnell's office did not respond to questions about the number of officers, the purpose of the meeting, or why Hegseth called so abruptly.

At the White House, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that such a meeting was "not unusual at all."

The U.S. has troops stationed worldwide, including in remote locations such as South Korea, Japan, and across the Middle East, each led by two-, three-, and four-star generals and admirals.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved quickly to reshape the department, firing top generals and admirals as he aims to implement Trump's national security agenda and eliminate diversity programs he sees as discriminatory.

In February, he dismissed 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 U.S. military leadership.

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

In May, Hegseth ordered a 20 percent cut in the number of four-star officers. In that May memo, Hegseth also stated there would be at least a 20 percent reduction in general officers in the National Guard, along with an additional 10 percent cut among general and flag officers throughout 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 input from Reuters)