Hegseth confirms firing of 20% of top US military leaders

September 30, 2026 at 08:19 PM1 min

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the firing of 20% of top military leadership in a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. He announced the creation of an Autonomous Warfare Command and a new Office of Religious Affairs. The firings are part of a broader overhaul under Hegseth, who has faced accusations of blocking promotions of black people and women.

Key Facts

Hegseth confirmed the firing of 20% of top military leadership, with over 800 active-duty generals and admirals across the services.
At least 20 generals, admirals and civilian military leaders have been terminated or quit since Hegseth became defence secretary, according to CBS News.
Hegseth announced the creation of the Autonomous Warfare Command to ease procurement of robotics and drones, 'supercharged' with artificial intelligence.
A new Office of Religious Affairs and a cadets programme partnering with US universities were also announced.
Civil rights groups including the NAACP and the National Women's Law Center have accused Hegseth of blocking military promotions of black people and women.

Personnel Overhaul

Hegseth referred to his September 2025 Quantico speech as 'Liberation Day', saying those not on board with his changes 'no longer work here'. He singled out groups he said he did not want in the military, including transgender people, overweight people and people with beards. Federal law sets a limit to the number of general and flag officers, with no requirement that unfilled positions be replaced.

New Initiatives

The Autonomous Warfare Command aims to ease procurement of robotics and drones for warfare, 'supercharged' with artificial intelligence. Hegseth announced a new Office of Religious Affairs that will 'protect budgets, demand infrastructure, and strengthen religious support'. He did not mention the location or funding source for a new military base, but called on US states to 'bring us your best sales pitch'.