Hegseth is shrinking the generals’ ranks and changing who gets through

Pete Hegseth is cutting 20% of the military’s general and admiral billets by January 1, 2027. Some jobs will disappear. Others will be downgraded so colonels and Navy captains can fill them.

But the more revealing part may be who gets through the door.

On September 22, Hegseth announced a new Joint Warfighter Evaluation for colonels and Navy captains seeking their first star. It will assess operational analysis, communications and decision-making as part of the promotion process.

Then there is the allegation circulating around the purge:

Generals and admirals are supposedly being tested on whether they remember the oath they took.

The oath does not swear allegiance to Donald Trump.

It does not swear allegiance to Pete Hegseth.

It swears officers to support and defend the Constitution.

There is no credible evidence that Hegseth is literally asking officers to recite the oath and firing those who can.

But there is documented evidence that loyalty has become part of the Pentagon’s senior-officer fight.

CBS reported that at least 20 generals, admirals and senior civilian defense officials had been fired or departed since Hegseth became defense secretary. It also reported that some officers were removed from promotion lists and that Hegseth had previously said generals involved in “DEI woke” policies had to go.

The Wall Street Journal has reported something even closer to the allegation: people familiar with senior-officer selections said Hegseth’s advisers considered factors including an officer’s loyalty to the president and association with the previous administration’s diversity policies.

That is a very different story from simply eliminating bureaucracy.

You have a shrinking number of senior military seats.

You have a new evaluation system for officers trying to get their first star.

You have senior officers being removed or blocked from promotion.

And you have reporting that loyalty to the president was discussed when senior officers were being considered.

The oath allegation may be false.

The larger pattern is not imaginary.

And if the people who survive the restructuring are increasingly selected for loyalty to the administration, then the 20% reduction isn’t merely about how many generals the Pentagon has.

It changes who gets to become one.