Ammon News - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers, deepening cuts at the Pentagon that have shaken the Department of Defense at the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office.

Hegseth has long been vocal about how he views the senior-most ranks of the military as too big.

The 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 a memo, the contents of which were first reported by Reuters, Hegseth said there will 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.

He added that he worked with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this and the goal was "maximizing strategic readiness."

At the time, he said there were 44 four-star positions in the military. He has since removed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Navy's top admiral and the director of the National Security Agency. Reuters